Global gateway

Streamlining Trade: Harmonising Customs Along the Trans-Caspian Corridor

The Trans-Caspian Corridor (TCTC) links Europe to the Greater Caspian Region and Central Asia, holding great potential to boost trade and diversify transport routes. Yet, fragmented regulations and limited digitalisation still slow its development. Tools such as eTIR, e-CMR, and Single Window Systems (SWS) can harmonise procedures and streamline cross-border trade. With its strategic location and digital reforms, the Greater Caspian Region stands at the centre of this transformation. Through region-to-region cooperation and interoperable digital frameworks, the EU can help make the TCTC a more efficient, competitive, and sustainable trade route between Europe and Central Asia.

The Middle Corridor: EU Connectivity through Infrastructure Digitalisation and a Single Window Environment

Amid global supply chain disruptions and geo-political uncertainty, the Middle Corridor, also known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), is rapidly redefining how Europe connects with the Asian continent via Central Asia and the Greater Caspian region – offering a faster, more reliable alternative to traditional trade routes. Increasingly emboldened by investment and regional cooperation, this multimodal corridor promises to reduce transit times, bypass existing chokepoints, and drive digital innovation in customs and logistics.

The Trans-Caspian Corridor: Financial Risk Mitigation for Unlocking EU Connectivity with the Greater Caspian Region and Central Asia

Examining the financial mechanisms underpinning the European Union’s engagement in Central Asia, this Policy Brief focuses on the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor (TCTC) as a strategic infrastructure and trade initiative. It analyses how instruments such as the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) are deployed to de-risk private investment, foster sustainable development, and strengthen regional connectivity. By assessing both the opportunities and challenges of EU-backed financing, the study highlights how coordinated investment, regulatory frameworks, and risk mitigation strategies can enhance economic integration, diversify supply chains, and support the EU’s broader geopolitical and green-transition objectives in the Greater Caspian Region.

Stairway to Heaven or Highway to Hell? The EU’s Global Gateway and Expanding Economic Statecraft

On 1 December 2021, the EU launched its brand new infrastructural development scheme – “The Global Gateway”. By pledging to mobilise up to 300 billion EUR in investments by 2027, the EU is adding significant firepower to its toolkit of economic statecraft.