Trinidad and Tobago

A twin-island state located off the Venezuelan coast, Trinidad and Tobago is a high-income country with an economy driven by natural gas and petrochemical exports and well-developed industrial and financial sectors. It has a population of around 1.5 million inhabitants. Trinidad and Tobago is one of the most developed nations in the Caribbean, and has the second highest per capita income in the region (25 210 dollars, second after Aruba).

The EU supports Trinidad & Tobago towards sustainable and inclusive development, in line with the Global Gateway Strategy. For the Caribbean, the Samoa Agreement sets out the objectives of the Caribbean-EU partnership. The region has specific needs, given the intrinsic vulnerability of its small economies to external shocks. The EU objectives include improving environmental sustainability and climate resilience; transitioning to a sustainable and diversified economy that supports decent jobs and growth, and promotes trade and investment; enhancing good governance, and building inclusive and secure societies where institutions are accountable, and no one is left behind.

Given the specific nature of the EU’s relationship with the Caribbean sub-region, the EU has launched the following three Caribbean-EU 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 this framework, the EU allocated EUR 208 million for the Caribbean specific window.

The Global Gateway Investment Agenda for Trinidad & Tobago highlights areas with potential for investment projects to help address the sub-region's infrastructure needs, mainly in the following areas:

• Digital
  • Supporting the digital transition, including e-IDs.
• Climate and energy
  • Facilitate shift from grey to green hydrogen through a transition to renewable energy (off-shore wind and solar).
  • 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
  • Security of water supply, wastewater collection and treatment, storm-water management, flood prevention, coastal protection and solid waste management.

EU Delegation to Barbados