Brussels, 12/06/2015 (Agence Europe) - The EU is to allocate €346 million to the Caribbean region until 2020, under the new regional indicative programme (RIP) focusing on regional integration, climate change, sustainable energy and the environment, security and the fight against crime.
This regional envelope is financed by the European Development Fund (11th EDF) which is dedicated to development cooperation between the EU and the 79 ACP (Africa, Caribbean, Pacific) countries. The envelope was signed on the sidelines of the EU-CELAC summit (see EUROPE 11333) and the high level EU-Cariforum conference (see other article).
“With the signing of the regional programme we can now mobilise resources for the implementation of our jointly defined priorities”, said European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica.
This €346 million regional envelope is more than double the sum granted to the Caribbean region for the previous period (2008-2013). If the Investment Facility for the region and the multi-country initiatives are added, the total sum allocated to the Caribbean region exceeds €1 billion.
The funding will be distributed as follows: Regional economic cooperation and integration - €102 million to strengthen Caribbean regional integration, development of the private sector, and implementation of the EU-Cariforum economic partnership agreement (which is currently being reviewed); climate change, environment, disaster management and sustainable energy - €61.5 million to improve regional resilience to climate change and natural disasters, to support the sustainable use of natural resources, and to promote energy efficiency and renewable energies; crime and security - €44 million to prevent crime, to reduce risk and enhance restorative justice, to enhance citizen and border security, (including well managed migration and mobility), and to comply with international norms on financial crimes, terrorism financing and corruption; Caribbean Investment Facility - an indicative sum of €135 million.
The EDF is the main financial envelope of the Cotonou agreement linking the EU to the 79 ACP countries until 2020. The RIPs complement the funds allocated to each ACP country as part of the national indicative programmes (NIP). The NIPs set out the cooperation priorities that are jointly defined by the European Commission and the ACP national authorities. (Aminata Niang)