On the occasion of the first ever visit of a President of the European Commission to the Caribbean, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen reiterated Europe’s will to deepen relations and partnership with the region. At the invitation of the Chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley, President von der Leyen met the 15 Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community at the 48th Ordinary Session of CARICOM. The aim of the visit is to further strengthen the EU’s presence in the region and prepare the EU-CELAC Summit planned for this year.
In a new era of fierce geostrategic competition, Europe stands for openness, partnership and communication. The visit took place against the backdrop of the Commission’s efforts to build new partnerships and strengthen old ones, including recent agreements with Mercosur, Mexico and Malaysia.
President von der Leyen stated: “Europe and the Caribbean may be separated by an ocean, but we are close allies. We have so many common interests and values, including our mutual support for Ukraine. Europe stands by Caribbean countries in tackling climate change, protecting nature and biodiversity, strengthening trade and boosting investment through Global Gateway. Europe wants to be a fair and trustworthy partner for all regions of the world that want to work with us.”
President von der Leyen also discussed the situation in Haiti with the Caribbean partners. She underlined the EU’s commitment to Haiti’s recovery and security and supports CARICOM’s efforts in this regard. In this context, an EU support package of EUR 19.5 million was announced during the visit. This new financial support will complement ongoing efforts to provide basic services to the people of Haiti and promote the country’s macroeconomic stability.
President von der Leyen stressed the EU’s willingness to support the Caribbean partners in tackling climate change and its devastating impacts on the islands. As a leading climate finance provider, the EU is committed to working together on innovative financing while encouraging private sector investment.
At the global level, the EU and the Caribbean are stepping up their energy partnership following President von der Leyen’s opening of the Global Energy Transition Forum in Davos last month. She welcomed the eight countries (Barbados, Guyana, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica)* that joined the Forum at the Summit and committed to taking action to achieve the global goals of tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency by 2030.
During the visit, President von der Leyen stressed the EU’s reliability as a trade and investment partner for the region and cooperation on mutually beneficial projects. As part of Europe’s Global Gateway strategy, President von der Leyen launched several projects in the areas of renewable energy, digital transformation, pharmaceutical production and economic resilience. The projects are investing in a stronger, greener and better connected Caribbean.
Key Global Gateway projects in the Caribbean
Developing renewable energy: Global Gateway energy projects are underway in 13 Caribbean countries, leveraging European expertise, technologies and financing instruments. In this context, President von der Leyen and Prime Minister Mottley announced a €160 million green hydrogen storage project by French company HDF Energy, the first project of its kind in the Caribbean.
Advancing the digital agenda: The EU and the Caribbean strengthened their digital partnership with the signing of an agreement between the Caribbean and European satellite company Hispasat during the CARICOM meeting. This agreement will improve satellite internet connectivity and digital sovereignty in the Caribbean, within the framework of the EU-LAC Digital Alliance. Under this initiative, the EU and Spain will provide a grant of €10 million to support the rollout of satellite broadband and promote digital inclusion across the region.
Developing local pharmaceutical manufacturing: EU investments of €8.9 million to promote local manufacturing and regulatory alignment with European standards were also announced during the CARICOM meeting.
