Dominica, a Small Island Developing State (SIDS) with over 73,000 inhabitants (2023), illustrates the extreme vulnerability of Caribbean islands to climate change through the recent hurricane impacts. Its economy, heavily dependent on agriculture, tourism, and investment, is particularly exposed to external factors.
Our partnership
The EU supports Dominica in achieving sustainable and inclusive development aligned with the Global Gateway Strategy. 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 adopted a Multiannual Indicative Programme for the period 2021-27 under the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI-Global Europe). Under that framework, the EU allocated 208 million euros for the Caribbean specific window.
Our flagship initiatives
- Climate and energy
- Transition to renewable energy by fostering investments in solar, wind, geothermal and green hydrogen technology.
- Reduce the chronic water shortages and improve wastewater systems with a combination of research, innovation, technology transfer, policy development, risk protection, seed fund and bigger infrastructure projects.
- Climate finance: Mitigating or adapting to the impacts of climate change (green finance and sustainable finance).
- Supporting Caribbean biodiversity and fighting ocean pollution.
- Turn Sargassum algae from a threat to an economic opportunity (e.g. biofuel, water purification, agriculture).
- Transport
- Improve maritime connectivity in the Caribbean to foster regional integration, economic growth and food security.
- Health
- Health systems resilience and the digital transformation of health facilities.