THE HAGUE--Caribbean islands within the Kingdom could gain access to substantially more European funding in the years ahead, but a central concern emerged during a Dutch parliamentary debate on Tuesday: whether the islands have enough administrative capacity to turn those opportunities into actual projects.
The issue featured repeatedly as MPs discussed the European Commission’s proposed new financial framework for Overseas Countries and Territories, LGO, and the wider relationship between the Caribbean islands and the European Union.
The European Commission has proposed significantly increasing resources available to overseas countries and territories. MPs welcomed the prospect, but repeatedly warned that larger funding allocations will mean little if island governments lack the personnel and technical expertise needed to develop projects, prepare applications, meet EU requirements and account for the money once it has been awarded.
The concern extends beyond simply filling out applications. Parliament heard that the islands can face difficulties finding the required co-financing for European projects, while limited civil-service capacity can restrict their ability to prepare viable proposals in the first place. MPs questioned whether these existing obstacles would continue even if more European money becomes available.
During the debate, it was noted that approximately €80 million is available for the islands of the Kingdom under the current EU Multiannual Financial Framework, MFK. The amount that could become available under the next framework has not yet been finalized, but expectations of increased resources have placed greater attention on whether the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom are positioned to secure their share.
State Secretary for the Interior and Kingdom Relations Van der Burg acknowledged that the existing opportunities are not being used to their full potential.
When asked why the islands are not currently getting everything possible from European funding, Van der Burg pointed directly to the complexity of EU procedures and the limited capacity available within small island administrations. He noted that European subsidy systems can be complicated even for much larger governments and said the challenges become greater when administrations have far fewer personnel available to navigate them.
Van der Burg said this is one reason a special envoy has been appointed to assist the Caribbean Netherlands with European funding. He also acknowledged that the Netherlands itself has to provide more support and devote greater attention to helping the islands make use of the opportunities available.
He described implementation capacity as a genuine issue rather than something that could simply be solved by making more money available. The State Secretary said additional assistance would be necessary and indicated that both the envoy and the Dutch government would have roles in strengthening the ability of the islands to pursue European resources.
The capacity question could become even more important because MPs said the European financing system may increasingly move toward more flexible funding arrangements and larger regional projects.
VVD MP Renate Den Hollander expressed concern that this could disadvantage smaller administrations. Larger or regional projects can require more preparation, coordination and specialist knowledge, creating the possibility that islands with fewer civil servants could struggle to compete even when funding is technically available to them.
Van der Burg acknowledged the concern and said additional support could be necessary, particularly for the smallest islands. He specifically indicated that Saba and St. Eustatius would likely require greater assistance than larger jurisdictions such as Curaçao.
Another obstacle raised during the debate was co-financing. European subsidies can require governments to contribute part of the financing themselves, meaning that an island may identify an eligible EU program but still be unable to participate if it cannot provide its share of the project costs.
MPs therefore asked whether Dutch funding could sometimes be strategically combined with European resources, allowing money from the Netherlands to help unlock larger EU investments rather than having the two funding streams operate separately.
The discussion also moved beyond the amount of money available to the types of projects that could ultimately benefit.
Van der Burg said several priority areas had already been discussed during an LGO conference in Aruba involving the European Commission, France, Denmark and the overseas territories. Among the areas identified were connectivity, waste management, port capacity, sargassum and energy.
On connectivity, Van der Burg referred specifically to the potential importance of a sea cable and to improving the broader accessibility of the islands. Waste management was identified as a challenge common to several Caribbean islands, while port capacity, energy and the persistent problem of sargassum were also among the areas discussed with European partners.
The State Secretary said the approach should be to match priorities identified by the islands with the priorities Europe is prepared to finance. That could allow European resources to contribute directly to projects addressing long-standing infrastructure, environmental and economic challenges in the Caribbean.
Aruba was cited during the debate as an example of a Caribbean country strengthening its own institutional focus on Europe. Van der Burg pointed to Aruba having established its own structure, including ministerial responsibility, aimed at strengthening relations with the European Union and pursuing European opportunities.
That example is significant because Tuesday’s debate repeatedly returned to the idea that securing European funding requires more than political interest. Governments need people who understand EU programs, can identify suitable funding calls, prepare technically sound applications, coordinate regional projects and manage the extensive requirements that accompany successful applications.
Van der Burg also made clear that he intends to advocate in Brussels for the Caribbean countries as the next European financial framework is negotiated.
He said that once the MFK is finalized, the Kingdom should make every effort to secure as much European funding as possible. Van der Burg indicated that he expects to travel to Brussels later in September as negotiations continue and said he wants the interests of the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom reflected in the eventual distribution of resources.
Although St. Maarten, Curaçao and Aruba are autonomous countries and can pursue their own European interests, Van der Burg said he also considers himself an advocate for all six Caribbean islands when dealing with Brussels.
He told Parliament that when he represents the Kingdom at the European level, he does not restrict his efforts to Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. St. Maarten, Curaçao and Aruba can lobby independently, but he said he also seeks to advance their interests when opportunities arise.
