The European Union announced €260.8 million in new Global Gateway investments for Brazil on 23 June 2026, including a digital corridor connecting Europe and Latin America, renewable hydrogen projects, and support for indigenous women in the Amazon. Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela unveiled the initiatives at the EU-Brazil Investment Forum in Brasília, aiming to improve connectivity, foster clean industries, and strengthen community leadership.
The largest single investment, €260.8 million, will expand the EllaLink fibre-optic cable corridor, a direct high-capacity link between Europe and Latin America that bypasses North America. The funding will extend resilient digital connectivity to the Brazilian states of Pará and Maranhão, with onward connections to French Guiana and the Caribbean. It also supports smart nodes, cybersecurity, data resilience, and environmental monitoring along the route. Separately, Síkela signed a grant to bring reliable internet access to five remote communities in Amazonas state that currently lack connectivity. The project, implemented with the Instituto de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico (INDT), Nokia, and Hispasat, will connect populations to education, health, public services, and economic opportunities, laying groundwork for broader expansion across the Amazon region.
On renewable energy, the EU and Brazil advanced cooperation on green hydrogen, including the Northeast Green Energy Park, a flagship project aiming to convert Brazil's renewable energy potential into green hydrogen, green ammonia, and green steel. This will be supported by future Green Shipping Corridors linking Brazil to Europe. To help promising projects move from concept to financing, the EU is investing €3 million through the H2Uppp programme, implemented by German development agency GIZ. Nine projects emerged from the first phase; eight are preparing full proposals. A next phase was also announced during the Commissioner's visit.
Síkela also announced EU support for indigenous women through the project Cunhaintá Kirimbawasá – The Strength of Women, implemented by ANMIGA and the Lutheran Foundation of Diaconia. Over three years, the initiative will strengthen the political voice and participation of indigenous women in the Amazon, supporting 25 organisations and reaching 50 indigenous peoples. The EU stated that investing in community leadership contributes to protecting one of the planet's most important climate regulators and building resilience for future generations.
The Global Gateway strategy, launched by the EU, aims to reduce global investment gaps by promoting sustainable connections in digital, energy, and transport sectors, as well as strengthening education and research systems. The initiative has mobilised over €300 billion in public and private investments. The EU has committed €10 billion through the Global Gateway Investment Agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean, with Brazil as a central partner.
The announcements carry trade-offs. For EU and Brazilian businesses, the digital and hydrogen investments open new markets and supply chain opportunities, particularly in clean technology and connectivity services. However, local telecom and energy incumbents may face increased competition from EU-backed projects. For remote Amazon communities, improved internet access promises better education, healthcare, and economic inclusion, but the long-term sustainability of such infrastructure in isolated areas remains a challenge. Indigenous women's organisations gain direct funding and political empowerment, yet the project's three-year horizon may limit lasting institutional change. EU taxpayers finance these investments through the Global Gateway budget, with returns expected in the form of strategic partnerships and reduced carbon emissions, though immediate economic benefits are indirect.