The evaluation covers all EU external action support to connectivity in the Enlargement and Neighbourhood regions between 2014 and 2022. It serves a dual purpose of accountability and learning. The main objectives are to: i) provide an independent and evidence-based assessment of the EU’s past and current external action support in the area of connectivity in the transport and energy sectors, and ii) based on this assessment, provide lessons learnt and recommendations for decision-makers at EU level to inform ongoing and future decision making.
The specific objectives of the evaluation are:

• To assess whether the EU support on connectivity has contributed to achieve the objectives articulated in the EU’s strategic policy framework and whether those results justify and strengthen the approach followed for the current programming period;
• To assess the extent that the EU support has contributed to enhance connectivity in the energy and transport sectors at both policy and implementation level;
• To assess the EU’s toolbox especially grants, technical assistance, blending of loans, risk capital, equity and guarantees and whether it has contributed to catalysing investments on connectivity;
• To identify how the most recent engagement in connectivity supports the operationalisation of the Global Gateway, and derives lessons learnt to further strengthen Global Gateway implementation in the context of the Economic Investment Plans (EIPs);
• To assess the interplay between regional, multi country and bilateral interventions and the synergies created to stimulate regional integration;
• To assess the Working Better Together approach and the private-public dialogues and partnerships and their impact on the effectiveness, predictability and sustainability of long-term interventions;
• To assess the extent to which the EU connectivity support in energy and transport sectors have contributed to supporting the twin green and digital transitions.

The analysis covers both spending and non-spending actions and examines all funding mechanisms and modalities of implementation (including grants for investments and technical assistance, financial instruments such as guarantees, budget support) used under the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) II and III, the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI), and the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (NDICI-GE). This also includes operations under the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), the Neighbourhood Investment Facility (NIF) and the European Fund for Sustainable Development (Plus) (EFSD / EFSD+).