Global Gateway
The European Union and Timor-Leste
The Global Gateway stands for sustainable and trusted connections that work for people and the planet. It helps to tackle the most pressing global challenges, from fighting climate change, to improving health systems, and boosting competitiveness and security of global supply chains.
Global Gateway partnerships is based on 6 principles:
- democratic values and high standards
- good governance and transparency
- equal partnerships
- green and clean
- security focused
- catalysing private sector investment
Between 2021 and 2027, Team Europe will mobilise up to €300 billion of investments for sustainable and high-quality projects, taking into account the needs of partner countries and ensuring lasting benefits for local communities. This will allow EU’s partners to develop their societies and economies, but also create opportunities for the EU Member States’ private sector to invest and remain competitive, whilst ensuring the highest environmental and labour standards, as well as sound financial management.
The Global Gateway is also fully aligned with the UN’s Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the Paris Agreement.
In 2023, ninety key projects were launched worldwide across the digital, energy and transport sectors through Global Gateway to strengthen health, education, and research systems globally. Currently, Timor-Leste does not have a country Global Gateway flagship project, but is benefitting from the regional Green-Blue Alliance for the Pacific.
The Green-Blue Alliance for the Pacific, managed by the EU Delegation to Fiji, is the overarching project for Global Gateway in the Pacific region focusing on climate action, resilience and sustainable use of natural capital.
The European Union (EU) and Timor-Leste have a close and fruitful relationship that started in 2005 with the signature of the Cotonou Agreement. The Cotonou Agreement was followed by the Samoa Agreement signed on 5 November 2023, between the European Union (EU) and its Member States, with member states of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS). The Samoa Agreement is based on six key priorities: human rights, democracy and governance; peace and security; human and social development; inclusive, sustainable economic growth and development; environmental sustainability and climate change; and migration and mobility.
Political Relations
The EU / Timor-Leste relationship goes back to 1999. Since 2006, the two partners started working together more closely.
Timor-Leste signed up to the Cotonou Agreement in 2005. The Partnership Agreement comprised members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States - including Timor-Leste - and the EU and its Member States. The Cotonou Agreement started implementation in 2000 and had a duration of 20 years, being extend in 2022 until the entry into force of the new agreement replacing Partnership Agreement 2000/483/EC.
Following the expiration of the Cotonou Agreement, the relations between Timor-Leste and the European Union are based in the Samoa Agreement that serves as the new legal framework for EU relations with 79 countries. This includes 48 African, 16 Caribbean and 15 Pacific countries.
The agreement aims to strengthen the capacity of the EU and the ACP countries to address global challenges together. It lays down common principles and covers the following six priority areas:
- democracy and human rights
- sustainable economic growth and development
- climate change
- human and social development
- peace and security
- migration and mobility
Economic and Trade Relations
The current trade relations between the EU and Timor-Leste are governed by the EU’s “Everything But Arms” initiative under which all imports to the EU from Least Developed Countries (LDC) like Timor-Leste are duty-free and quota-free, with the exception of armaments.
On 27 March 2023, the EU and Timor-Leste signed a deal concluding their bilateral market access negotiations on services and goods as part of Timor-Leste’s accession process to the World Trade Organization. The bilateral EU-Timor-Leste deal provides for lower tariffs for goods and for opening up services markets once Timor-Leste joins the WTO. These commitments are embodied in the Protocol of Accession of Timor-Leste to the WTO. Timor-Leste became the 166th WTO member on 30 August 2024.
Furthermore, Timor-Leste notified the European Commission, on 15 October 2020, of its intent to accede to the Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the European Union and several Pacific Islands (Fiji, PNG, Samoa and Solomon Islands). The European Union is giving assistance to the Government of Timor-Leste to process with the preparations.
The interim EPA is a WTO-compatible agreement with the overall objective to contribute through trade to sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction. It includes co-operation and assistance in areas such as sanitary norms and standards to help EPA countries benefit from the agreement and can be seen as a driver of change helping to kick-start reforms, contribute to good economic governance, attract investment and boost economic growth, diversification and job creation.
Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid
The European Union's partnership with Timor-Leste is deeply rooted in shared commitments to democracy, human rights, and the principles of multilateralism. Leveraging these common values, the EU's engagement in Timor-Leste is currently focused on promoting economic diversification, fostering economic growth and job creation, and supporting the nation's to implement the regulations of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the accession to Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Under the Multiannual Indicative Programme (MIP), a total of EUR 55 million has been allocated for the 2021-2024 period, supporting initiatives that are in line with Timor-Leste's Strategic Development Plan (SDP) for 2011-2030, its Post-COVID Economic Recovery Plan (ERP), and the Global Gateway Strategy.
The two priorities of the MIP 2021-2027 are:
(i) Green and sustainable economic recovery and development
(ii) Good governance for sustainable development Furthermore, Timor-Leste benefits from multi-country programmes, including Regional Pacific and ASEAN programmes. Additionally, Timor-Leste benefits from the PALOP-TL (Portuguese-Speaking African Countries and Timor-Leste)-EU cooperation, which was extended to include Timor-Leste in 2007.
For more information on the ongoing projects please, check the link below:
https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/countries/timor-leste_en
Human Rights and Democracy
Human rights and democracy are the founding values and principles of the European Union. These values feature prominently in the cooperation and relations between the European Union and its partner countries.
Human rights and democracy are standing items on the agenda of the annual Political Dialogue described above.
They are also promoted through projects funded and implemented under the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights and through public diplomacy events.
The EU’s engagement in this area is done in line with the EU’s Global Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy, on the basis of which the EU Delegation determines several key activities at the local level.
The current EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy runs from 2021 to 2024 and an annual report on its implementation with specific country chapters is regularly published.
Civil society dialogue
The EU Delegation has regular dialogues with civil society organisations (CSOs). In 2020, the Delegation established a structured dialogue with CSOs holding regular meetings (at least 3 per year) to promote and improve mutual understanding and coordination. The focus of this dialogue is on governance, human rights, overall development cooperation and engagement with civil society. It informs the EU’s analysis and programming and contributes to the improvement of key documents and reports.
The EU Delegation applies an open door approach to CSOs; it wants to promote inclusiveness and provide a real chance to discuss relevant policy and implementation issues.
Cultural and Public Diplomacy
Public diplomacy has become an essential foreign policy tool to engage more and better with key target audiences and partners, increase their understanding of the European Union (and of its policies), build common ground and coalitions.
With our public diplomacy and strategic communication initiatives in Timor-Leste, we aim at developing durable and trusted channels of engagement with our key target audiences and partners and fostering networks that can support the achievement of shared priorities by involving youth, students, academics, influencers, multipliers, media, business, civil society and the cultural sector.
Please visit our social media accounts (Facebook, X and Instagram) to see more in detail.