Brussels, 02/09/2014 (Agence Europe) - At a ceremony in Apia (Samoa) on Tuesday 2 September, European Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs and the representatives of 21 small island states signed National Indicative Programmes (NIPs) for each of the countries. These 21 countries are all members of the 79-country Africa, Caribbean, Pacific (ACP) group bound to the EU by the Cotonou Agreement.
The NIPs represent an important step in the programming of EU aid totalling €339 million over seven years. This money will be channelled through the 11th European development fund (EDF) during the financing period 2014-2020 (total amount €30.5 billion).
The signing ceremony took place on the sidelines of the UN Third International Conference on Small Islands Developing States (SIDS), focusing on the specific challenges and sustainable development of these small remote countries where imported energy prices are very high and which are also vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters (see EUROPE 11145).
The NIPs define the strategy and priorities for EU aid in each particular country. These preparations are carried out in close cooperation with the partner countries so as to ensure that NIPs support national priorities and reflect the local context. The list of signatory countries is made up of ten Caribbean countries - Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago - ten Pacific countries - the Cook Islands, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Timor Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu - and one African country - Cape Verde.
“Today's signatures mark the official go-ahead to continue strengthening our development cooperation with the concerned countries. These documents lay down the priorities for our joint work for the next seven years and will allow us to move ahead with the preparations of the concrete projects and programmes”, stated Commissioner Piebalgs, adding: “For the European Union it is essential that our programmes are drawn up in close cooperation with our partner countries, based on governments' own policies and strategies and reflecting their stated needs. This is how we ensure that programming documents really support areas where the EU can add value”.
In line with the EU's vision for future development cooperation, the “Agenda for Change”, funding will focus on a maximum of three sectors per country, or possibly four in the case of fragile countries, to achieve maximum impact and value for money of EU cooperation. The breakdown of aid and areas of focus for each of the small island states is as follows:
Caribbean. Antigua and Barbuda: €3 million for public finance management; Barbados: €3.5 million for sustainable energy; Dominica: €4 million for sustainable energy; Grenada: €5 million for health; Guyana: €34 million for climate change adaptation and disaster reduction as well as sustainable infrastructure (including sea defences); Jamaica: €46 million for rule of law and for environment and climate change; St Kitts and Nevis: €2.8 million for sustainable energy; St Lucia: €6.9 million for employment generation through private sector development; St Vincent and the Grenadines: €7 million for rural infrastructure (roads); Trinidad and Tobago: €9.7 million for support to competitive and innovative economy. Total: €121.9 million.
Pacific. The Cook Islands: €1.4 million for water and sanitation; the Marshall Islands: €9.1 million for sustainable energy and measures in favour of civil society; Micronesia: €14.2 million for sustainable energy and measures in favour of civil society; Nauru: €2.43 million for sustainable energy; Niue: €0.3 million for sustainable energy; Palau: €1.6 million for sustainable energy and for measures in favour of civil society; Samoa: €20 million for water and sanitation; Timor Leste: €95 million for good governance, rural development and measures in favour of civil society; Tonga: €11.1 million for sustainable energy; Tuvalu: €6.8 million for water and sanitation and for measures in favour of civil society. Total: €161.93 million.
Africa. Cape Verde: €55 million for good governance and development.
The remaining NIPs will be finalised and signed by early 2015. In parallel, work on preparing concrete projects and programmes has also started in all countries. These national programmes represent a significant step in the EU aid programme. (AN)