Overview
Barbados is an island located in the Lesser Antilles, part of the West Indies in the Caribbean. Its population is almost 300,000.
Our partnership
The EU supports Barbados in achieving sustainable and inclusive development aligned with the Global Gateway Strategy. This support leverages Barbados’ strategic position in the Caribbean and its dedication to a fair, green and digital transition.
The EU-OACPS Partnership Agreement outlines the Caribbean-EU partnership goals, addressing the region's unique challenges, particularly its small economies' vulnerability to external shocks. Objectives include improving environmental sustainability and climate resilience, promoting a diverse, sustainable economy fostering decent jobs, growth, trade, and investment, improving governance, and creating inclusive, secure societies with accountable institutions and where no one is left behind.
Given the specific nature of the EU’s relationship with the Caribbean sub-region, the EU has launched three key partnerships:
- The Caribbean-EU Partnership on the Green Deal
- The Caribbean-EU Partnership on Economic Resilience and Trade
- The Caribbean-EU Partnership on Governance, Security, and Human Development
The EU allocated €208 million for the Caribbean specific window.
EU-Barbados partnership documents can be found in the 'Related documents' section below.
Our key initiatives
- Renewable energy
The EU partners with Barbados to support the transition to renewable energy, improve energy efficiency, and strengthen energy security. Key actions include:
- Investing in SMEs to adopt renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions.
- Strengthening the capacities of national banks and institutions to manage climate projects and access climate finance.
- Retrofitting around 100 government buildings.
- Expanding the public e-mobility fleet.
- Strengthening institutional capacity to handle the energy transition.
- Investing in solar and green hydrogen storage for grid stability.
- Facilitating the joint EU-Barbados development of battery storage and an onshore wind farm.
- Assisting the Ministry of Energy in advancing the energy transition and marine energy solutions.
- Pharmaceutical production
To support local pharmaceutical development, the EU is assisting Barbados with
- Collaborating to strengthen regulatory oversight of Barbados’ health system.
- Facilitating access to EU markets.
- Ensuring applied research is brought to local markets.
- Supporting the application of research in local pharmaceutical products.
- Creating conditions for skills development and academic collaboration.
- Contributing to the digital modernisation of Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
- Water
Efforts to reduce chronic water shortages and improve wastewater systems include:
- Upgrading the South Coast water treatment plant, allowing wastewater to be used for irrigation and groundwater recharge.
- Providing technical assistance to assess areas that need sewage system development and assess pilot areas for irrigation using reclaimed water.
- Helping establish a National Water Academy to improve the development a water sector and related skills and research.
- Transport
The EU is helping Barbados as part of a wider Caribbean scheme of improving maritime connectivity. The overall goal is fostering regional integration, economic growth, and food security. EU efforts have focused on enhancing small vessel shipping trade and trade logistics.
- Caribbean sargassum
The EU is financing the Caribbean effort to tackle the threat posted by sargassum algae. Specific actions include:
- Enhancing monitoring, early warning systems, and public health responses.
- Piloting smart containment, deviation, and collection of algae.
- Advancing safe innovations that can make use of sargassum, along with standards for safe handling and processing of heavy metals in sargassum residues.
- Building regional partnerships to harmonise efforts and data sharing.
