Mauritius, an island state in the Indian Ocean, is located about 1 800 km east of mainland Africa and inhabits approximately 1.3 million people. Despite its inherent vulnerability as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), Mauritius has developed from a low-income, agriculturally based economy into an upper middle-income diversified economy with growing industrial, financial, and tourist sectors.
Our partnership
The EU supports Mauritius in its efforts towards sustainable development and climate change adaptation and mitigation. This support focuses on three areas: maritime security and fight against piracy and trafficking, the development of a sustainable blue and green economy, and economic governance. Our actions are in line with Mauritius’ Vision 2030 - Transforming Our Future for the Better, the five-year Government Programme 2020-2024 and the EU’s Global Gateway Strategy.
Over the last decades, the EU has been Mauritius’ most important economic, financial and development partner, supporting the country through the sugar and textile reforms imposed by the alignment with WTO obligations. The EU and Mauritius are linked by the EU-Eastern Southern Africa Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
Team Europe in Mauritius brings together the EU and France.
The EU, together with France, adopted a Joint Programming Document for the period 2021-2027 under the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI-Global Europe). Under that framework, the EU allocated €8 million. Mauritius also benefits from a number of multi-country EU programmes.
Multiannual Indicative Programme 2021-2027 for Mauritius – annex
Multiannual action plan 2024-2025 for Mauritius
Our flagship initiatives
- Climate change
to support the country’s climate change adaptation and resilience. Team Europe initial focus is on assisting the country in implementing the Circular Economy Roadmap and Action Plan via 2 Specific objectives:
- SO1. To build key foundations for CE development, by contributing to (i) elaborating legislative frameworks, standards and guidelines; (ii) reinforcing capacity of key institutions to operationalise the framework; (iii) formulating a strategy for financial and fiscal incentives, (iv) developing platforms to facilitate value chain organisation and public private partnerships; (v) deploying tools to raise awareness in different stakeholder groups.
- SO2. To improve solid waste management, notably in relation to the construction and demolition sector prioritised by the Ministry. In association with the private sector, the Action will contribute in i) establishing coordination mechanisms between stakeholders of that value chain, ii) elaborating a strategy for CDW recycling and management, iii) developing the regulatory and fiscal frameworks, technical standards and guidelines, iv) building capacity of public institutions, v) building capacity of private operators.
- Transport
to enhance infrastructure and safe and efficient connectivity. Team Europe is supporting the rehabilitation of the airport in the island of Rodrigues (expansion of the airstrip), with a EUR 16 million grant blended with a World Bank loan of approximately USD 200 million. Works are supposed to start in the first half of 2024. This rehabilitation is coupled with the EU-supported Sustainable Integrated Development Plan for Rodrigues (SIDPR), which aims to manage the socio-economic transformation that the new airport could bring and ensure the environmental protection of the area. Its implementation is crucial, particularly in sectors such as conservation and preservation of the environment, sustainable tourism, farming, and water and blue economy.
- Governance
to support a sound, accountable and transparent institutional framework by 2030.