The EU has set “Gateway to Growth” as the theme for its Europe Day 2026 celebrations in Tanzania, focusing on support for entrepreneurs, start-ups and businesses, the EU Ambassador to Tanzania Christine Grau said in remarks delivered in Dar es Salaam.
Grau told guests the event marked the foundation of the European Union and brought people together to reflect on “what we have built and where we are going next,” the European External Action Service (EEAS) reported in a release on Monday.
She noted that EU member state ambassadors were present and that the EU is made up of 27 countries, with 13 represented in Tanzania.
Grau described the EU as “Team Europe” and said European countries had chosen reconciliation after “several devastating wars”, building peace through cooperation and a future based on “shared rules and values.”
She said the EU’s future was built on democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law, and described democracy as “the best system we have to make all voices heard.”
“Gateway to Growth” and EU-backed business support
Grau said the 2026 theme centred on “supporting entrepreneurs, start-ups, and businesses to grow into fully-fledged economic actors.”
She linked the theme to the EU’s Global Gateway programme, describing it as investment in infrastructure, digitalisation, energy and connectivity, as well as “people and businesses.”
Global Gateway is the EU’s initiative to support projects in areas such as transport, energy and digital networks.
Grau said companies attending the event had been supported by the EU and were intended to show what the theme meant “in practice”, and she encouraged guests to visit their booths and speak with their teams.
She also said EU-supported programmes in Tanzania were intended to strengthen entrepreneurship by helping businesses become “investment-ready” and access markets, and that businesses needed a “stable and transparent business environment.”
In closing, Grau said she arrived in Tanzania nearly three years ago and would finish her posting at the end of August.
