WILLEMSTAD--Representatives of Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, the Netherlands, Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Maarten met in Curaçao on October 1 and 2 for initial discussions on establishing a new European Union platform aimed at strengthening the Kingdom’s position in Brussels and improving access to opportunities available to Overseas Countries and Territories.
The meeting was organized by the Representation of the Netherlands in Willemstad and brought together all seven Kingdom partners to discuss how a coordinated platform could help the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom make better use of opportunities offered by the European Union.
Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Maarten hold Overseas Countries and Territories, or OCT, status in their relationship with the European Union.
The proposed EU platform is intended to strengthen coordination and improve the Kingdom’s positioning in Brussels while respecting the autonomy of the countries and the individual relationship each OCT maintains with the European Commission.
For the Caribbean territories, one of the main opportunities connected to the European Union is access to European funding. At the same time, the OCTs are considered strategically important to the EU because of their geographical presence in different parts of the world.
The Permanent Representation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the European Union in Brussels also participated in the discussions.
Its involvement is considered important in helping Kingdom partners identify opportunities in Brussels and better understand the direction of European Commission policy.
Discussions noted that the European Commission is increasingly focused on geopolitical influence, an area in which the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom could play a greater role.
Participants also discussed possible activities for the proposed platform, including jointly monitoring calls for proposals under European funding programs, identifying training needs among the OCTs and improving the sharing of knowledge, information and professional networks.
The platform could also create greater coordination among the Kingdom partners when identifying European opportunities relevant to their individual development priorities.
The seven Kingdom partners are expected to further develop the proposed structure, objectives and activities of the EU platform in the coming period.
