Speech by Commissioner Urpilainen at the opening of the 4th Brazil-EU Forum in Rio de Janeiro

Urpilainen at the 4th Brazil-EU Forum

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Boa tarde!

I am thrilled to join you for the opening of the 4^th Brazil-EU Forum,

Let me thank the Fundación Euroamérica for organising this event, which comes at an important time.

Against a backdrop of multiple global crises, Development and Finance Ministers are gathering in Rio for the G20.

Our mission is clear: to advance the objective set forth by the Brazilian G20 Presidency…

To “build a just world and a sustainable planet”.

Achieving it will not be easy. But the EU is determined to try, together with partners like Brazil.

It will require mobilising all actors and relevant resources, public and private.

This is the motivation behind this Forum today.

I have three messages to kickstart discussions.

First, Brazil and the EU are natural partners.

Brazil is the ninth largest economy in the world and one of the largest democracies.

In turn, the EU is the largest trading bloc in the world. It was founded on a commitment to multilateralism and rules-based cooperation.

Our regions share a record of successful trade and investment.

We stand side-by-side in multilateral fora on so many issues.

• In demanding increased action to combat climate change,
• In advocating human-centred digitalisation,
• In our common commitment to make the world more equal.

Both Brazil and the EU are committed to advancing a future that is fairer, greener, and more sustainable for all.

Second, the EU aims to strengthen ties with Brazil through Global Gateway investment strategy.

Because being natural partners is not enough. We want to become partners of choice.

Global Gateway is the EU's strategy to mobilise EUR 300 billion in sustainable investments that boost partner countries' resilience.

At its core, Global Gateway is about high-quality partnerships and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

We want to establish mutually beneficial links and prosper together.

And we maximise Global Gateway's impact through an approach called Team Europe.

It combines the resources and expertise of the EU, its 27 Member States, and European development finance institutions.

Brazil is working hard to promote its industry and improve its position within global value chains.

Team Europe stands ready to support these efforts.

Through Global Gateway, we not only offer capital, but regulatory support, technology transfer, and knowledge exchange to make investments last. Investments that generate local value, create jobs, and help reduce inequalities for the long term.

Last year, at the EU-CELAC Summit, President von der Leyen unveiled the EUR 45 billion EU-Latin America and Caribbean Global Gateway Investment Agenda.

Since then, numerous Global Gateway projects are taking shape here in Brazil. The contribution to the Amazon Fund, which I just announced, is only one example.

This brings me to my final point – the importance of private sector investment. Through a mix of grants, concessional loans, and guarantees, Team Europe is derisking investment and attracting funds to the areas that need it most.

Some of you here today are already working with the EU on Global Gateway projects. As you learn more about the opportunities in the pipeline, I hope more of you will come on board.

For example, we are exploring a Green Energy Park project that could become a reference case for green hydrogen production.

We can also collaborate on critical raw materials. Brazil is rich in natural resources, and through smart partnership we can foster responsible extraction and local processing.

This means cultivating a resilient and sustainable value chain that can fuel the fair green and digital transitions – and that can improve lives and livelihoods of regular people.

Dear Friends,

Indeed, Global Gateway is not just about ambitious projects. It's about doing them right.

We measure success not just in euros, or in real, but in the impact on people's lives.

To measure and verify impact, we have adopted the Inequality-marker methodology. First results are already in.

Last year, 61% of new EU-funded projects in Latin America and the Caribbean had inequality reduction as the main or significant objective.

Dear Friends,

Together, we can do even better for a sustainable and socially just world.

I wish you a successful Forum.