(*) Key achievements in the table state which period they relate to. Many come from the implementation of the predecessor programmes under the 2014-2020 multiannual financial framework. This is expected and is due to the multiannual life cycle of EU programmes and the projects they finance, where results often follow only after completion of the programmes.
(1) Bonaire youth budget support programme for 2014-2020 (11th European Development Fund).
(2) Greenland education budget support programme for 2014-2020 (EU budget).
(3) Wallis and Futuna digital budget support programme for 2014-2020 (11th European Development Fund).
(4) Aruba higher education programme for 2014-2020 (11th European Development Fund).
(5) Saba renewable energy budget support programme for 2014-2020 (11th European Development Fund).
(6) Saint Pierre and Miquelon sustainable tourism budget support programme for 2014-2020 (11th European Development Fund).
(7) Regional Pacific programme for 2014-2020 (11th European Development Fund).
(8) Regional Caribbean programme for 2014-2020 (11th European Development Fund).
Budget for 2021-2027
(million EUR)
Financial programming | 500.0 |
NextGenerationEU |
|
Decommitments made available again (*) | N/A |
Contributions from other countries and entities |
|
Total budget 2021-2027 | 500.0 |
(*) Only Article 15(3) of the financial regulation.
Rationale and design of the programme
The decision on the association of the overseas countries and territories (OCTs), including Greenland, with the EU (DOAG) provides an updated legal framework to support action by the 13 OCTs in tackling the challenges they face and ensuring their economic and social development. The three main building blocks of the EU OCT partnership are political and policy dialogue, commercial exchanges and financial cooperation. For the first time, the DOAG also incorporates Greenland, placing all OCTs firmly within the same instrument and under the same source of funding: the EU budget. (OCTs other than Greenland previously benefited from the European Development Fund.)
The OCTs have wide-ranging autonomy, covering areas such as economic affairs, labour market, public health, home affairs and customs. At the same time, as non-sovereign entities, they are part of the territory of three EU Member States (Denmark, France and the Netherlands). For instance, defence and foreign affairs usually remain within the remit of the Member States. While the around 1 million OCT inhabitants are EU citizens, their territory is not directly part of the EU, though they have been associated with the EU since the Treaties of Rome. Except for Wallis and Futuna, OCTs are not eligible for development aid under Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development criteria.
OCTs are especially vulnerable to climate change and environmental degradation due to their geography (all are islands). At the same time, almost all are located in global biodiversity hotspots and – together with the outermost regions – they account for the vast majority of EU biodiversity. They face major challenges in terms of ensuring economic diversification (including moving away from an overreliance on potentially volatile tourism revenues), competitiveness, digital transformation, education and connectivity (several of the OCT islands are remote and isolated).
The DOAG provides an updated legal framework to support action by OCTs in tackling such challenges and ensuring their sustainable economic and social development.
The EU–OCT associations constitutes a partnership to support the OCTs’ sustainable development, as well as to promote the values and standards of the Union in the wider world. The general objective of the DOAG is to promote the economic and social development of the OCTs and to establish close economic relations between them and the EU as a whole, which can only be achieved through cooperation at EU level.
The DOAG pursues this general objective by enhancing competitiveness of the OCTs, strengthening their resilience, reducing their economic and environmental vulnerability and promoting cooperation between them and other partners, including the EU as a whole.
The EU has an interest in supporting the OCTs. They belong to the EU family and share the same values and policy priorities. Located in the Atlantic, Antarctic, Arctic, Caribbean, Indian Ocean and Pacific regions they connect the EU to all four corners of the globe. They are important EU ambassadors in their regions. OCTs bring with them important assets, such as a vast Exclusive Economic Zone (12 million sqm –highly relevant for ocean governance), host critical infrastructure (Galileo) and avail of many critical raw materials. At the same time, the OCTs benefit from the EU’s significant expertise in sustainable development and the green transition as well as the privileged access to the EU market.
The association between the EU and the OCTs is based on the pillars of political and policy dialogue, trade and cooperation. The specific objectives of the DOAG are:
- to foster and support cooperation with OCTs, including addressing their major challenges and reaching the United Nations’ sustainable development goals;
- to support and to cooperate with Greenland in addressing its major challenges, such as raising the education level, and to contribute to the capacity of its administration to formulate and implement national policies.
Cooperation through the DOAG takes place via the following main types of action:
- geographic/bilateral cooperation with individual OCTs;
- regional programmes benefiting OCTs in the Caribbean, Pacific and Indian Ocean regions, based on shared needs;
- intraregional programmes for cooperation between one or a group of OCTs and one or more non-OCT neighbours, who would participate with their own funds;
- technical assistance and institutional support;
- additionally, the DOAG sets aside a ‘reserve’ to help OCTs respond to unexpected circumstances, emerging challenges (e.g. migratory pressures) and new international priorities
The programme is implemented under direct management by the Commission from its headquarters and/or through the EU delegations and/or EU offices, and under indirect management by entities such as Member State agencies or international organisations that ensure a level of protection of the EU’s financial interests equivalent to that under direct management. Indirect management may also be entrusted to partner countries or the bodies they designate.
The lead directorate-general is DG International Partnerships, in cooperation with DG Regional and Urban Policy, DG Trade and other line DGs – especially on the external dimensions of internal policies such as climate, environment, energy and digital.
In line with its specific objectives, the DOAG operates through two main pillars:
- bilaterally and (intra-)regionally, to support OCTs in addressing major challenges and to achieve the United Nations’ sustainable development goals (SDGs);
- through a dedicated pillar for Greenland cooperation notably to raise educational levels and to address other major challenges and to enhance administrative capacity to formulate and implement national policies.
The programme has a reserve for emerging challenges and will also benefit from the EIB Investment Facility reflows.
Moreover, the DOAG programme is transversally reinforced through other EU programmes to which the OCTs are eligible, including for investment with InvestEU, the thematic programmes of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe, Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe.
Under the 2014-2020 multiannual financial framework, cooperation with OCTs was carried out under both the overseas association decision (which also applied to Greenland) and the additional Greenland decision. For simplification purposes, and taking into account the 2017 midterm evaluation of external financing instruments, the overseas association decision and the Greenland decision were merged into a single new DOAG under the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework.
With the ‘budgetisation’ of the European Development Fund under the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework, the EU budget became the unified source of financing for all OCTs. For the first time, the DOAG benefits from an earmarked envelope for strengthened cooperation with non-OCT neighbours and two horizontal spending targets: 25% of the overall DOAG envelope for climate-change objectives; and 7.5% of annual spending for biodiversity objectives in 2024 and 10% in 2026 and 2027.
With the new external financing architecture, OCTs are eligible for investment financing from InvestEU, as the DOAG no longer provides for a dedicated OCT investment facility.
OCTs are also eligible for the thematic and rapid response initiatives of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe, and as a matter of principle they are eligible for EU horizontal programmes.
Programme website:
Impact assessment:
- The impact assessment of the association of the OCTs with the EU was carried out in 2018.
- For further information please consult: https://europa.eu/!gh96VH
Relevant regulation:
Evaluations:
- Strategic Evaluation of the EU–OCT financial cooperation 1999-2009
Budget
Budget programming (million EUR):
2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Financial programming | 67.0 | 69.0 | 70.0 | 71.4 | 72.9 | 74.3 | 75.4 | 500.0 |
NextGenerationEU | ||||||||
Decommitments made available again (*) | N/A | |||||||
Contributions from other countries and entities | 0.0 | 0.0 | p.m. | p.m. | p.m. | p.m. | p.m. | 0.0 |
Total | 67.0 | 69.0 | 70.0 | 71.4 | 72.9 | 74.3 | 75.4 | 500.0 |
(*) Only Article 15(3) of the financial regulation.
Financial programming:
+ EUR 0.0 million (+ 0%)
compared to the legal basis*
(*) Top-ups pursuant to Article 5 of the multiannual financial framework regulation are excluded from financial programming in this comparison.
Budget performance – implementation
Multiannual cumulative implementation rate at the end of 2022 (million EUR):
Implementation | 2021-2027 Budget | Implementation rate | |
---|---|---|---|
Commitments | 135.2 | 500.0 | 27.1% |
Payments | 30.6 | 6.1% |
Annual voted budget implementation (million EUR) (1):
Commitments | Payments | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Voted budget implementation | Initial voted budget | Voted budget implementation | Initial voted budget | |
2021 | 63.3 | 67.0 | 0.7 | 25.5 |
2022 | 68.2 | 69.0 | 29.2 | 50.5 |
(1) Voted appropriations (C1) only.
- As of December 2022, 14 out of the 16 programming documents for OCT cooperation (called multiannual indicative programmes) were adopted. The two remaining multiannual indicative programmes (Wallis and Futuna and the intraregional multiannual indicative programme) will follow as of 2023 with the adoption process.
- The implementation of the financial assistance is well on track.
- By the end of 2022 over EUR 30 million were already disbursed notably through the education budget support programme for Greenland. As action plans were adopted late in the year in 2021 and 2022, all payment appropriation adopted through initial voted budget could not be spent in the respective years. Superfluous payment appropriations were made available to other instruments through the Global transfer exercise.
- Three Commission decisions were adopted in December 2021: on Greenland (EUR 60 million for education), support initiatives (Technical Cooperation Facility, EUR 1.5 million) and support for the OCT association (EUR 1 million).
- Seven Commission decisions were adopted in December 2022 for a total of EUR 99.5 million: Saint Pierre and Miquelon (EUR 27 million for sustainable tourism), Saba (EUR 4.1 million for renewable energy), Sint Eustatius (EUR 2.9 million for sustainable agriculture), Saint Barthélemy (EUR 2.5 million for disaster risk management), French Polynesia (EUR 31.1 million for sustainable water management) and New Caledonia (EUR 30.9 for energy transition), as well as support initiatives (Technical Cooperation Facility, EUR 1 million). To ensure swift implementation, one action was adopted as a multiannual decision including 2023 commitment appropriations of EUR 28.5 million. For 2023, five new annual action plans are envisaged with up to EUR 47.5 million in commitments, consisting of three action plans for bilateral programmes in OCTs: e-government in Aruba (EUR 14.2 million), water and sanitation in Bonaire (EUR 4.6 million) and Green Growth in Greenland (EUR 22.5 million), necessitating multiannual decisions for EUR 10 million of 2024 commitment appropriations, one for regional cooperation (biodiversity in the French Southern and Antarctic Lands, EUR 4 million) and one for support initiatives (for a total of EUR 2.2 million).
- For 2024 five annual initiatives are planned for a total of EUR 115.85 million, also requiring multiannual decisions (EUR 58 million of the 2025 commitment appropriations).
- Summarising the above, in the first year 2021 all available funds were concentrated on support to Greenland, in the second year 2022 on territorial, i.e. bilateral programmes, and from 2023 onwards all components of the instrument can be covered.
Contribution to horizontal priorities
Green budgeting
Contribution to green budgeting priorities (million EUR):
Implementation | Estimates | Total | % of the 2021-2027 budget | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | |||
Climate mainstreaming | 0.0 | 50.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 50.3 | 10% |
Biodiversity mainstreaming | 0.0 | 2.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.1 | 0.4% |
Clean air |
0.0 |
0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% |
- The Green Deal is pivotal to the new EU–OCT cooperation. The DOAG, with its EUR 500 million envelope for 2021-2027, sets specific targets on priority areas of mutual interest, such as climate change and biodiversity. Spending targets for climate action (25%) and biodiversity (7.5% in 2024, 10% in 2026-2027) are therefore included.
- Given the vulnerabilities of the OCTs as islands, the major sectors of intervention under the 11th European Development Fund for the 2014-2020 period included the environment, climate change and sustainable energy. For 2021-2027, the Green Deal has even emerged as a key priority of EU–OCT cooperation. Most (9 out of 12) bilateral multiannual indicative programmes have a strong Green Deal focus (Bonaire, Curaçao, French Polynesia, Greenland, New Caledonia, Saba, Saint Barthélemy, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten), along with the three regional multiannual indicative programmes (Indian Ocean, Pacific and Caribbean). Around 40% of the overall resources will be mobilised for Green Deal cooperation, such as renewable energy, water, disaster risk reduction, sustainable agriculture and green growth.
- In 2021, the Greenland annual action programme and support initiatives were committed. They did not include markers on biodiversity or climate change. In 2022, seven initiatives were committed with positive climate coefficients.
- The 2022 implementing initiatives for French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Saba, Saint Barthélemy, Sint Eustatius and Saint Pierre and Miquelon will contribute to the climate and biodiversity targets.
- In French Polynesia, the programme (EUR 31.1 million) aims, among other things, to preserve and restore ecosystems and biodiversity and to better monitor, report on and prevent water pollution. The initiative will contribute to protecting the environment and biodiversity and to adapting to climate change through the more efficient use of water.
- In Greenland, the multiannual indicative programme’s second priority area – green growth (EUR 22.5 million) – will support in particular the extension of a renewable energy supply, to ensure that the economic development of the island is sustainable and as carbon neutral as possible. Also in line with the Green Deal and climate adaptation goals is its second goal, the protection of biodiversity, as Greenland’s flora and fauna is particularly affected by climate change in the Arctic region, and is heating up more quickly than the rest of the planet. Lastly, as Greenland is an important territory in which to study climate dynamics, the support for research coordination also provided for in this priority area will contribute to a better understanding of the related challenges.
- In New Caledonia, the programme (EUR 30.9 million) aims to green the mining sector, develop decarbonised mobility and develop the sustainability and resilience of the territory. Therefore, the direct and indirect results of the programme will contribute to the fight against climate change and will foster environmental protection.
- A clean-energy transition with climate mitigation as the principal objective will be the focus of the 2021-2027 territorial cooperation with Saba (EUR 4.1 million, budget support, implementation will start in 2023), and the multiannual programme for Sint Maarten (EUR 7.7 million) also focuses on the renewable energy transition.
- Saint Barthélemy’s budget support programme for disaster risk management (EUR 2.5 million), is interlinked with climate adaptation. The EU’s support in this sector will contribute to developing integrated risk reduction management in Saint Barthélemy, but also, more broadly, to the island asserting its role as a leader and main trusted partner in the fight against climate change in the Caribbean region, one of the regions most vulnerable to its impacts.
- In Saint Pierre and Miquelon, the programme (EUR 27 million) aims to support the development of sustainable tourism. Several planned initiatives with a contribution to green priorities, to be carried out by the territorial collectivity, are in hand. The forest management plan provides for the protection of natural areas and remarkable sites. Furthermore, the territorial collectivity has developed a planning document for the sustainable development of the territory. This document is intended to both address the risks to the territory and protect the biodiversity of the coastal zone.
- For the first time, sustainable agriculture was selected in an OCT, in Sint Eustatius (EUR 2.9 million, budget support, implementation will start in 2023), instigated by the current disruptions in food supplies and the need to boost food security and increase the resilience of the island’s own food production (the Caribbean OCTs are highly dependent on food imports). The initiative will enhance food security in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss, reduce the island’s environmental and climate footprint and provide opportunities for local operators in the different segments of the food value chain. The action is fully aligned with the Green Deal (under the farm-to-fork strategy).
Gender
EU budget contribution in 2022 (million EUR):
Gender Score | 2021 | 2022 | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Score 2: |
0.0 |
0.0 | 0.0 |
Score 1: |
60.0 |
67.6 | 127.6 |
Score 0: |
3.3 |
0.6 | 3.9 |
Score 0*: |
0.0 |
0.0 | 0.0 |
(*) Based on the applied gender contribution methodology, the following scores are attributed at the most granular level of intervention possible:
- 2: interventions the principal objective of which is to improve gender equality;
- 1: interventions that have gender equality as an important and deliberate objective but not as the main reason for the intervention;
- 0: non-targeted interventions (interventions that are expected to have no significant bearing on gender equality);
- 0*: score to be assigned to interventions with a likely but not yet clear positive impact on gender equality.
- While there was no specific target set for the 2014-2020 EU–OCT cooperation concerning gender equality, care will continue to be taken to ensure that all cooperation programmes include a focus on gender equality. Indeed, the DOAG programme explicitly states that gender equality should be mainstreamed into all initiatives as a key contribution to the successful achievement of the SDGs. Consequently, all new initiatives aim to ensure that gender aspects are considered to the best extent possible, notably through sex-disaggregated data.
- OCTs being Member State territory, they are subject to the respective national legislation, which includes the progressive application of EU legislation in this matter even though OCTs are not bound by the EU acquis. Therefore, no initiatives target gender equality specifically, but gender equality is mainstreamed in all new cooperation initiatives as a significant objective (G1 marker), while there are no initiatives with gender equality as a main target (G2).
- French Polynesia (G1). Action regarding equitable access to water and to appropriate hygiene conditions responds to a crucial issue for the health of women and children. However, gender-disaggregated data on access to water in French Polynesia does not yet exist. The gender issue in connection with the sustainable management of water will mainly be raised within the framework of the policy dialogue. The action will also support the production of sex-disaggregated data.
- Greenland (G1). Cooperation on education has several indicators disaggregated by gender, and one of its specific objectives is increased equality in the education system, including on gender. Female students perform particularly well in upper secondary and higher education. Young people in Greenland face the specific challenges of underperformance by male students and socio-psychological issues, along with gender-based violence.
- New Caledonia (G1). The energy sector is influenced by a set of persistent gender inequalities, which can be summarised as gender gaps in energy access, in the energy labour market, in energy-related education and in decision-making in the energy sector. The EU initiative and the policy dialogue will help the policies arising from the programme to address these inequalities. Moreover, the initiative will also support the production of sex-disaggregated data.
- Saba (G1). Action on energy transition will support a more affordable, sustainable and reliable energy supply, and will foster gender equality (better access to energy by women). It also has a gender-sensitive indicator, with a specific strategy for the sector to be drafted by 2025 (supported by technical assistance).
- Saint Barthélemy (G1). Cooperation on risk management has a gender-related goal (public policy documents taking gender into consideration).
- Saint Eustatius (G1). Cooperation in the field of sustainable agriculture, promoting a gender-sensitive agricultural-sector policy framework and minimum gender targets for the funding scheme. Infrastructure outputs require a gender-sensitive analysis.
- Saint-Pierre and Miquelon (G1). The territorial government is committed to implementing several initiatives for the careers of young women and men in the territory, in particular e-training courses. This training contributes to the better integration of women into the labour market. Moreover, the EU initiative will support the production of sex-disaggregated data and gender analysis relating to the sector. It will also seek to build the capacity of stakeholders in relation to the gender and human-rights approach.
- Support initiatives are driven by demand, therefore they do not specifically target gender issues and are scored at 0 in the above table.
Digital
Contribution to digital transition (million EUR):
2021 implementation | 2022 implementation | Total | % of the total 2021-2027 implementation | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Digital contribution | 0.0 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 8.7% |
- During the 2014-2020 period, important work was carried out on digital connectivity with Wallis and Futuna (EUR 19.6 million) and Saint Helena (EUR 21.5 million).
- Under the DOAG programme, cooperation with Aruba in 2021-2027 will prioritise the digital transformation (e-government, EUR 14.2 million). Though programming is finished, the formulation of the implementing measure will take place in 2023, and implementation will only begin in 2024. The ongoing cooperation on education with Greenland includes the provision to extend and improve the use of digital technologies in education, for instance to battle the chronic lack of qualified teaching staff in remote locations. The government launched the evaluation of the information technology strategy in education in 2022, and is currently drafting a new action plan for digital and distance learning, to be finalised in 2023.
Budget performance – outcomes
Baseline (*) | Progress (**) | Target | Results | Assessment | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
For OCTs except Greenland, exports of goods and services as a percentage of gross domestic product | 19.2% | N/A | 23.9% in 2021 | Not applicable | |
For OCTs except Greenland, total Government revenue as a percentage of gross domestic product | 26.9% | N/A | 26.2% in 2021 | Not applicable | |
For Greenland, exports of goods and services as a percentage of gross domestic product | 26.4% | N/A | No results | Not applicable | |
For Greenland, the percentage of the fisheries sector in total exports | 91.4% | N/A | 94.4% in 2021 | Not applicable |
(*) Baseline year is 2020.
(**) % of target achieved by the end of 2021.
Link to file with complete set of EU core performance indicators
The indicators presented above are based on data from various statistical sources in each OCT. The baseline was established by calculating a proxy based on available data, with the year 2020 serving as the reference point. As data for 2022 are not yet available, progress is shown using the most recent data available from each OCT, which, in most cases, is from 2021. It is important to note that a direct contribution by the cooperation provided for under the DOAG to the achievement of these indicators cannot be established, as most of the cooperation programmes do not directly support exports of goods and services, and only indirectly support government revenue generation (through cooperation on public financial management). Therefore, no targets are set.
However, the DOAG programme is performing well, as evidenced by rapid programming that is nearly complete, a significant amount of implementing initiatives being adopted and successful implementation having occurred (with the targets for variable tranches of budget support having been met). Most of the programming documents for the DOAG are in place (14 out of 16), and implementation has started swiftly (27.1% of the total allocation is already committed for the end of 2027). The initiatives are both based on priority policies for the OCTs and in line with EU priorities. Of the seven initiatives already under implementation, five initiatives are Green Deal related (the clean-energy transition, sustainable agriculture and water management), one major initiative (to the amount of EUR 60 million) supports Greenland in improving its education system and one will foster the sustainable economic transition by promoting sustainable jobs and growth.
As an alternative to the general proxy indicators, a good marker of the DOAG’s performance can be based on individual performance at programme level. One programme, the EU–Greenland education partnership, was running in 2022, using budget support to increase the quality, equality and efficiency of the island’s education system. The programme reached all the variable tranche targets in 2022, resulting in the disbursement of the full related amount of EUR 30 million. These targets included: (i) enhancing institutional coordination in the sector (a coordinating body was created); (ii) improving social guidance, student well-being and inclusion (an action plan was drafted); (iii) embracing digitalisation through e-learning and an overhauled IT strategy (an evaluation was launched); and (iv) fostering entrepreneurial skills and innovation (successful stakeholder consultations were held). These initiatives represent important steps towards the programme’s goals and confirm budget support as a reform driver.
Sustainable development goals
Contribution to the sustainable development goals
SDGs the programme contributes to | Example |
---|---|
SDG1 End poverty in all its forms everywhere |
With the COVID-19 pandemic and, more recently, high inflation and the global impact of the war in Ukraine on food supplies and food security, global poverty has increased, and this is also the case in the OCTs. As part of the EU’s global response to COVID-19, OCTs benefited from reorientations of ongoing programmes and the front-loading of budget support operations, as well as mobilising all remaining funds from the B-envelope (emergency assistance), to the total amount of EUR 111 million. This highlights the importance for the EU–OCT partnership to continue the fight against inequalities and poverty (see also below on SDG 10). |
SDG2 End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture |
OCTs share particular vulnerabilities, resulting in a complex set of food security and nutrition challenges. For 2021-2027, the EU will support sustainable agriculture, food security and nutrition in the Pacific region (regional multiannual indicative programme, EUR 36 million), Caribbean OCTs (regional multiannual indicative programme, EUR 21 million) and in Sint Eustatius (EUR 2.9 million). |
SDG3 Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages |
The populations in the OCTs are highly dependent on the quality of resources and natural environments. Indeed, the latter provide a large part of the population with essential services such as means of subsistence and a vector of well-being. The regional Pacific multiannual indicative programme (EUR 36 million) is expected to promote sustainable and healthy food consumption, and to ensure that citizens are better informed to make healthy and sustainable choices. It is planned that the regional Caribbean multiannual indicative programme (EUR 21 million) will strengthen food and nutrition security through the development of sustainable and resilient local food value chains. Over 60% of the population of Wallis and Futuna suffer from obesity and other related health conditions (diabetes, gout, etc.). However, the local offer of treatments is limited. People with serious conditions often need to go to New Caledonia, Australia, or even France for consultations and treatments. The EU budget support under the 11th European Development Fund of EUR 19.6 million (with a EUR 0.56 million top-up for COVID-19 support) helped to finance the territory’s connection to the TUISAMOA digital cable and to introduce broadband. This ‘digital revolution’ enabled the Health Agency to develop its telemedicine capabilities aiming at improving prevention, early detection and treatment of many diseases. |
SDG4 Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all |
Access to quality education fosters equality and is an essential pre-condition for achieving sustainable growth and jobs. This is the rationale of one of the two priority areas of EU cooperation with Greenland 2021-2027. EUR 202.5 million is earmarked for education cooperation in Greenland. This will contribute to increase the quality, the access and the efficiency of the territory’s education system, which is facing a number of complex challenges (lack of skilled staff, geography, social issues). For instance, the rate of students staying in education, and the completion rates have recently shown a positive trend, and a number of institutional and policy changes are making progress. Through the Erasmus+ programme, the EU also supports OCTs in facilitating mobility of individuals, and reinforcing intercultural dialogue and understanding. OCT participation has more than doubled since 2018, in the number of both projects and beneficiaries. From 87 projects with 41 beneficiaries (total EUR 3.2 million) in 2018, participation grew to 177 projects and 95 beneficiaries (EUR 5.5 million) in 2020. |
SDG5 Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls |
Gender equality is a cross cutting issue of EU OCT cooperation. All new initiatives include gender-sensitive indicators and sex-disaggregated data whenever possible. Climate resilience, renewable energy development, water and sanitation are all crucial for gender equality. The education programme in Greenland is a good example on how EU action fostered equality, including on gender. Greenland’s education policy, which the EU supports since 2007, aims to create a more equal and inclusive society, advancing gender equality. In 2022, the Commission disbursed EUR 30 million, translating to EUR 12 million for gender equality in a G1 action (gender equality as an important, but not principal objective). In fact, female students and pupils tend to outperform their male counterparts (e.g. having an eleven percentage points higher transition rate to upper secondary education). Educational attainment and participation of girls and women has been consistently high, with 65% and 64% of enrolments and completions in upper secondary education. Women outperform men even more in higher education (72% of completions for all diplomas, all numbers for 2020). Enrolment and completion of vocational education are more equally distributed between genders (49% and 50% respectively in 2020). |
SDG6 Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all |
As part of the broader EU support for access to water and sanitation, interventions relating to the construction of water collection systems and of treatment facilities contribute to delivery on SDG 6. This will be the focus of the new cooperation with French Polynesia (EUR 31.1 million), Bonaire (EUR 4.6 million) and Curaçao (EUR 18.6 million). In French Polynesia, the programme will contribute to the achievement of sustainable development objectives aiming at guaranteeing access to drinking water and sanitation while ensuring an integrated management of water resources in the face of climate change constraints. In Bonaire and Curaçao, the population and economic growth (notably linked to the tourism sector) led to increased production of wastewater and solid waste and more pressure on ecosystems. The programmes will therefore aim to improve water management and increase access to sustainable sanitation. |
SDG7 Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all |
Sustainable energy transition in New Caledonia (EUR 30.9 million), Saba (EUR 4.1 million) and Sint Maarten (EUR 7.7 million). In New Caledonia, the programme will contribute to the decarbonisation of the mining industry, which is the lungs of the economy and responsible for 77% of the territory’s total energy consumption. Furthermore, New Caledonia aims at energy autonomy for the territory, based on reliable, decarbonised, resilient and affordable energy. The programme in Saba will accelerate the transition to a low carbon economy building on in the 11th European Development Fund action which substantially improved the energy mix of Saba with 40% of renewable energy produced. More action is needed to increase the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix (objective of 60% production by 2025) and energy efficiency (with the launch of a programme to promote the use of LED technologies and solar water heaters). In Greenland the cooperation aims at increasing the percentage of renewable energy in the public electricity provision to 90%, and there are initiatives to reduce the carbon footprint of current and future economic developments. |
SDG8 Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all |
The EU envisaged support 2021-2027 to sustainable tourism (Saint Pierre and Miquelon, EUR 27 million), green growth (Greenland, EUR 22.5 million), sustainable agriculture (Sint Eustatius, EUR 2.9 million) and e-government (Aruba, EUR 14.2 million) will drive progress towards sustained economic growth, full employment and decent work. In Saint Pierre and Miquelon, the programme will contribute to the sustainable economic diversification of the territory, relying on the potential and multiplier effect for sustainable growth of the tourism sector. It will reinforce the attractiveness of the territory bringing decent jobs and new opportunities, including for local youth and women. For 2021-2027 the EU will team up with Aruba to implement its e-government-strategy. This entails the building of an e-government organisation, an e-ID development and implementation, national cyber security development and the creation and implementation the national digital payments infrastructure. Aruba’s digital transformation will contribute to secure the digital access to government services and unlock new economic opportunities for all, including women and youth. In Greenland, the EU is supporting initiatives to make the territory’s natural riches more accessible to foreign tourists in a manner that is sustainable and respectful of the unique environment, while supporting local populations. |
SDG9 Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation |
Since 2019 the EU is boosting through a EUR 13.05 million programme (11th European Development Fund) the capacity of the University of Aruba. To this end, the EU also collaborated with the University of Leuven. The focus of the programme was put on science, technology, engineering and mathematics to enhance teaching (at bachelor’s and master’s levels) and research (at PhD level). A new faculty has been set up, including research facilities and laboratories that comply with the European Qualifications Framework. This action will contribute to boost innovation skills and partnerships between research and industries in Aruba. In Greenland, the ongoing programme for education includes a goal of including more innovative skills in the curriculum, formulation of which is under way. |
SDG10 Reduce inequalities within and among countries |
The focus of our past territorial cooperation (9th and 10th European Development Fund) was on urban infrastructures (mainly street lighting, paved streets as well as sewage infrastructures) in the most deprived neighbourhoods of Curaçao. These programmes were very well received with a strong ownership of the inhabitants and local neighbourhood organisations. Our joint cooperation has resulted in important and sustainable impacts by strongly improving the quality lives of poor inhabitants, which represent 1/3 of the population of the island. The ongoing 11th European Development Fund programme on resilient infrastructures of EUR 16.95 million and the new programme for 2021-2027 on water and sanitation of EUR 18.6 million will continue to eliminate the inequalities in access basic infrastructure notably for clean water and sanitation. In Greenland, inequality is tackled with the improved access of all children to pre-school education, which lays the ground for future economic security independent of starting conditions. |
SDG11 Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable |
An important part of Bonaire’s young population faces social hardship due to growing up in vulnerable single-parent households. For this reason, the EU joined hands to build better social and developmental prospects for children in this Dutch Overseas Country and Territory in the Caribbean. Youth empowerment is at the heart of the EU- Bonaire partnership agenda. The 11th European Development Fund budget support programme of EUR 3.95 million advanced well with the setting-up of a childcare regulation and comprehensive child development centres. |
SDG12 Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns |
The EU envisaged support 2021-2027 to Bonaire and Curaçao on water management and sanitation will aim to expand the application of the circular economy in water resources management, as a mechanism to achieve greater environmental and health protection (via increased sanitation coverage and greater wastewater treatment capacities as well as reuse of wastewater resources). |
SDG13 Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts |
The OCTs are especially vulnerable to climate change and environmental degradation due to their geographical locations and characteristics. The ongoing all-OCT thematic programme green overseas and the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and Pacific regional programmes (for a total of EUR 97.8 million) from the 11th European Development Fund are all dedicated to ensuring the sustainable use of natural resources, protecting biodiversity and supporting climate initiatives and resilience, showing the vital importance of these areas to all OCTs. The regional initiatives under the DOAG (EUR 36 million for the Pacific OCTs, EUR 21 million for the Caribbean OCTs and EUR 4 million for the French Southern and Antarctic Lands) will build on these achievements. EU support to protect biodiversity will continue to be the priority area for cooperation with the French Southern and Antarctic Lands in 2021-2027 (EUR 4 million). This will build on the ongoing Indian Ocean regional programme (EUR 4 million) which aims at improving the surveillance and observation of terrestrial and marine ecosystems in the French Southern and Antarctic Lands, restoring ecosystems and reinforcing impact prevention mechanisms. The programme 2021-2027 for Saint-Barthélemy (EUR 2.5 million) will also support disaster risk management and climate adaptation. In addition, the on-going BEST Initiative has helped OCTs to promote the EU’s environmental standards and provided an incentive for local actors to engage in environmental initiatives. The new LIFE programme 2021-2027 will continue to scale up the initiatives in OCTs on biodiversity and nature conservation. All these programmes focus therefore on translating SDG 13, 14 and 15 into effective results on the ground and will prepare the work for the future. |
SDG14 Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development |
Same as SDG13 |
SDG15 Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss |
Same as SDG13 |
SDG16 Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels |
All EU-funded initiatives in the OCTs intend to reinforce the capacity, the accountability and inclusiveness of their institutions. Budget support is generally a preferred implementation modality for OCTs’ territorial allocations. It is an efficient way of addressing long-term and structural challenges, of improving the performance and accountability of administrations while focusing on the effective achievement of results of territorial policies and of maintaining a constructive policy dialogue. Practice confirms that this modality provides satisfactory results in OCTs through a high level of appropriation from local authorities. This is also supported via a specific instrument, the Technical Cooperation Facility, that OCTs have access to. As an example, the territory of Saint Pierre and Miquelon benefited from a public finance management assessment, funded by the facility, which, was finalised in 2022. As a result of the assessment, a plan for the improvement and modernisation of public finances for the 2023-2026 period has been prepared by the local authorities. This document serves as a basis for assessing the Territorial Authority’s progress. |
SDG17 Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development |
The special relationship between the EU and the OCTs is based on the association of the OCTs with the EU, which constitutes a partnership. This principle of partnership is embedded in the DOAG programme, which is the framework for political and policy dialogue and cooperation on issues of common interest. Recently, the partnership has been further reinforced by including dedicated cooperation on youth engagement. A new initiative of over EUR 560 000 funded by the OCT Technical Facility, the OCT Youth Network, was launched in July 2022 by the EU with the aim of increasing the ties between young people living in OCTs and the EU, and of enhancing the knowledge and involvement of young people in the EU–OCT partnership. |