JOINT COMMUNICATION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Towards a renewed EU-Pacific development Partnership
Date: 2012-03-21
Institutions: European Commission, High Representative of the Union
Subjects: Pacific Ocean, association agreement (EU), climate change, democratisation, development aid, overseas countries and territories

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

HIGH REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
EUROPEAN UNION FOR 
FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND 
SECURITY POLICY

Brussels, 21.3.2012  
JOIN(2012) 6 final 

JOINT COMMUNICATION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, 
THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE 
COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Towards a renewed EU-Pacific development Partnership 

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JOINT COMMUNICATION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, 
THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE 
COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Towards a renewed EU-Pacific development Partnership 

1. 

THE EU AND THE PACIFIC 

The  growing  geostrategic  importance  of  the  Pacific,  combined  with  global  awareness  of 
Pacific  Islands'  vulnerability  to  climate  change,  has  made  this  region  an  emerging  foreign 
policy  priority  for  both  the  EU  and  many  of  its  strategic  partners  such  as  the  US,  Japan, 
China,  Russia  and  India.  Other  bilateral  partners  and  multilateral  institutions  are  also 
consolidating their presence in the region.  

Most EU Member States rely on the EU to promote and deliver on foreign policy interests in 
that region. The EU has engaged in regular political dialogues at country and regional level 
and is an influential donor and partner in the Pacific.  

The  EU's  partnerships  in  the  Pacific  involve  15  independent  Island  Countries1,  4  Overseas 
Countries  and  Territories  (OCT)2,  the  Pacific  Islands  Forum  (PIF)  as  well  as  Australia  and 
New Zealand − key members of the Forum and like-minded partners.  

As a global player, the EU aims at renewing and reinforcing its partnerships beyond a donor-
recipient relationship. The 2006 EU Strategy for the Pacific3, was a first step in this direction. 
As a result, the EU and the PIF have upgraded their political dialogue to Ministerial level.  

The EU should increase the impact of its development policy, in line with the EU Agenda for 
Change4 and consolidate its position as the second donor in the region after Australia5. This 
will allow the EU to enhance the political dimension of its partnership, by engaging in a more 
effective dialogue with Pacific countries, individually as well as at regional and multilateral 
level, in order to strengthen its cooperation on human rights, democracy good governance and 
sustainable development, as well as to ensure full respect of the UN Charter and international 
law worldwide.  

Building on the Cotonou Agreement6 as well as experience gained in the implementation of 
the EU Strategy for the Pacific, this Joint Communication focuses on the development aspects 

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Cook  Islands  (no  vote  in  the  UN),  Federated  States  of  Micronesia,  Fiji,  Kiribati,  Marshall  Islands, 
Nauru,  Niue  (no  vote  in  the  UN),  Palau,  Papua  New  Guinea,  Samoa,  Solomon  Islands,  Timor  Leste, 
Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu  
French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Pitcairn and Wallis and Futuna 
Conclusions on an EU-Strategy for the Pacific (2743rd General Affairs Council – 17.07.2006) 
Communication  from  the  Commission:  Increasing  the  impact  of  EU  Development  Policy:  an  Agenda 
for Change; COM(2011)637 - 13.10.2011 
See OECD DCD-DAC - "Development Aid at a glance – Statistics by region – Oceania – 2011 edition"  
The Cotonou Agreement, in force until 2020, governs the political, development cooperation and trade 
partnership  between  the  EU  and  79  countries  in  Africa,  the  Caribbean  and  the  Pacific,  the  so-called 
ACP countries 

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of EU relations with the region and proposes a set of actions for a more effective Pacific-EU 
cooperation, with the following main objectives:  

•  to promote coherence between development, climate action and other EU policies, such as 
trade, environment, fisheries, research, on the one hand, and human rights and democracy 
support on the other,  

•  to adapt and streamline delivery methods of EU Official Development Assistance (ODA) 
and  scaled  up  climate  change  financing  in  the  Pacific,  with  a  view  to  increasing  overall 
added value, results, impact and effectiveness,  

•  to stimulate the Pacific OCTs' successful regional integration and enhance their ability to 
promote EU values and become catalysts for inclusive and sustainable growth for human 
development in the region,  

•  to define with Pacific countries a positive agenda of issues of common interest at the UN 

and other international fora,  

•  to  join  forces  with  like-minded  partners  to  address  key  human  rights  issues  and  to  help 

consolidate democratic processes across the region. 

Outcomes of joint work at the UN, reinforced political cooperation and the implementation of 
the policy proposals outlined below should be integrated in the EU's programming cycle for 
the  EU's  development  cooperation  in  Pacific  Countries,  Territories  and  the  Region  for  the 
period 2014-2020, and feed into the process of renewing the EU strategy for engagement in 
the Pacific.  

2. 

THE UNIQUENESS OF THE PACIFIC 

2.1. 

Smallness, immensity, diversity and fragility  

Pacific  Island  Countries  and  Territories  (PICTS)  are  home  to  10  million  people  living  in  a 
land area of 552,000 Km² surrounded by a sea Exclusive Economic Zone of 30 million Km² 
in the part of the world most distant from the EU.  

Most PICTS are Small  Islands  States  (SIS), 10  of  which  are  among  the  world's  15  smallest 
economies,  while  three  are  atoll  nations,  with  elevations  barely  above  sea-level  and  small 
populations dispersed across large distances. Their natural, financial, institutional and human 
resource  base  is  limited,  skilled  labour  migration  rates  are  high,  and  costs  for  providing 
services and importing goods are very high. Many PICTS' economies are highly dependent on 
revenue from exploiting natural resources, such as fishing licenses sold to foreign vessels. The 
public  sector  is  dominant  but  in  some  countries  governance  remains  weak,  private  sector 
access to finance is limited and economies of scale are hard to achieve. Isolation and limited 
trade  opportunities  leave  these  countries  at  the  margins  of  the  global  economy.  Aid 
dependence and fragmentation in many PICTS present significant development challenges.  

Timor  Leste,  recovering  from  conflict  and  only  partly  integrated  in  the  PIF  institutional 
architecture,  is  currently  looking  forward  to  joining  the  Association  of  South  East  Nations 
(ASEAN) and faces similar structural constraints to those of many developing countries. The 
Pacific  OCTs  enjoy  development  levels  close  to  the  EU  average  and  seek  more  substantial 
integration in the region.  

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Papua  New  Guinea  (PNG)  and  Fiji  together  represent  88.6  %  of  the  land  mass,  70%  of  the 
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 74.5 % of PICTS’ population. While Fiji, where there has 
been  no  constitutional  rule  since  2006,  is  engaged  in  a  slow  transition  to  democracy,  PNG 
intends  to  invest  in  governance  so  as  to  fully  benefit  from  its  broad  natural  and  human 
resource base and its emerging, although largely foreign-owned, business sector.  

2.2. 

Development achievements and climate change impacts  

The real wealth of the Pacific is its unique biodiversity and its rich ecosystems, which deliver 
essential services to the population. In particular, the East Melanesian islands, New Caledonia 
and Polynesia-Micronesia are biodiversity hotspots.  

However,  oceanic  resources  are  being  damaged  due  to  pollution,  overexploitation,  habitat 
change  and  invasive  species.  Tropical  forests  are  in  danger  from  deforestation  and 
degradation.  

Exposure  and  vulnerability  to  natural  hazards,  which  have  the  potential  to  cause  very 
significant human and material losses, is common across the region.  

Demographic pressure places further stress on environmental and social balances. Education, 
employment and income-generating opportunities are needed for a rapidly growing and young 
population. While skilled labour migration is a key development constraint, remittances form 
a  substantial  part  of  many  Pacific  economies.  Large  communities  of  Pacific  Islanders  now 
reside in Australia, New Zealand or elsewhere.  

Democratic principles and human rights are respected for the most part across the region, with 
Fiji  remaining  an  exception  after  the  2006  coup.  However,  Pacific  countries  have  a  poor 
record  of  ratifying  human  rights  conventions  and  have  high  rates  of  gender-based  violence 
and low proportions of women at decision-making levels.  

Pacific  countries  are  slowly  recovering  from  the  global  crisis,  inter  alia  due  to  Asia's 
continued  robust  growth.  Private  sector  resilience  remains  weak.  In  2010,  economic  growth 
was 0.8% on average, and is expected to be 1.7% in 2011 and to remain low in 2012, except 
for resource-rich countries (PNG, Solomon Islands and Nauru) and Vanuatu. An increase in 
tourism and a recovery in remittance flows are expected. The main risk to growth is inflation, 
driven  by  high  fuel  and  food  prices.  In  Timor  Leste,  increases  in  government  expenditure, 
funded  by  petroleum  revenue,  resulted  in  a  9.5%  rise  in  GDP  in  2010,  which  is  forecast  to 
accelerate in 2011 and 2012. However macro-economic stability will remain an issue in most 
Pacific countries and the sustainability of debt levels is of particular importance.  

While  PNG  is  off  track  on  all  Millennium  Development  Goals  (MDGs),  the  other  Pacific 
countries  are  on-track  to  reduce  child  mortality,  with  mixed  progress  on  the  other  goals. 
Timor Leste has a mixed MDG performance, with substantial progress in poverty reduction, 
low  health  indicators  and  health  standards  compromised  as  a  large  part  of  the  population 
suffers from food insecurity.  

Access to energy is a key constraint. Pacific SIS are highly dependent on imported petroleum 
products  as  the  main  source  of  energy.  Unstable  international  prices  and  shipping  and 
transport costs place a heavy strain on national budgets and operational expenses for utilities 
and businesses, leading to high prices for food and electricity. Renewable energy technologies 
have  provided  alternative  means  of  producing  energy.  However,  changes  in  both  the  supply  of 
energy (availability and accessibility) and demand (affordability) pose an increasing threat to energy 

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security  for  Pacific  populations.  This  led,  in  2009,  to  the  formulation  of  the  "Framework  for 
Action  on  Energy  Security  in  the  Pacific"  (FAESP).  Only  around  30%  of  the  population  have 
access to electricity, concentrated in urban areas, ranging from less than 25% in some countries (PNG, 
Solomon  Islands  and  Vanuatu)  to  over  95%  in  others  (Cook  Islands,  Guam,  Nauru,  Niue,  Northern 
Mariana Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Tokelau and Tuvalu).  

Climate  change  has  affected  the  Pacific  for  decades,  with  the  increased  frequency  and 
intensity  of  natural  hazards,  such  as  tropical  cyclones  and  floods.  Sea-level  rise,  sea-water 
intrusion  and  coastal  erosion  reduce  the  land  available  for  housing,  threaten  infrastructure, 
damage aquaculture and affect freshwater supplies and agriculture. Access to clean water and 
sanitation  remains  a  major  challenge  for  most  PICTS,  causing  serious  health  hazards, 
especially  for  women,  children  and  communities  living  in  outer  islands.  Rising  water 
temperatures and ocean acidification put the already deteriorated biodiversity and ecosystems 
under further strain, particularly coral reefs, which results in further vulnerability to climate 
change.  In  large  islands,  climate  change  affects  mainland  areas,  through  more  intense 
droughts,  landslides  or  flooding.  Adaptation  to  climate  change,  including  ecosystem-based 
approaches, can also contribute to improved service delivery, access to renewable energy and 
disaster preparedness. As such it can be a key driver of development in all Pacific countries. 
Disaster risk reduction through ecosystem protection uses nature itself as part of the solution. 
Moreover,  for  disasters  that  are  not  directly  related  to  climate  change,  adaptation  measures 
can still contribute to disaster preparedness.  

PNG still has substantial primary rain forest resources, but areas are shrinking rapidly due to 
several  factors  including  what  is  seen  by  many  as  illegal  logging.  PNG  could  contribute  to 
global  climate  change  mitigation  by  moving  towards  sustainable  logging  through  improved 
forest governance and land-use legislation.  

Climate change sets off a chain of interlinked impacts, including on security and gender. The 
UN Security Council has pointed out that the loss of territory due to sea-level rise, particularly 
in  small  low-lying  island  States,  could  have  security  implications7.  The  EU  has  underlined 
that climate change has important security implications since it acts as a "threat multiplier", 
exacerbating tensions over land, food and energy prices, and creating migratory pressures and 
desertification8,.  On  the  other  hand,  given  that  the  impacts  of  climate  change  may  affect 
women and men differently, Pacific Ministers have affirmed the need to take the knowledge, 
experiences and priorities of women better into account to develop effective climate change 
strategies.  Recognising  that  gender  inequalities  and  human  rights  violation  hamper  the 
countries' capacity to address the impacts of climate change, Ministers have called on Pacific 
governments to fulfil their commitments in that regard9.  

The  impact  of  climate  change,  which  is  predicted  to  intensify,  undermines  development 
achievements and equitable sustainable growth, and makes it much more difficult to achieve 
the  MDGs  in  the  Pacific.  Entire  countries  could  become  uninhabitable  or  even  disappear, 
resulting in migration and displacement of populations.  

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UN Security Council open debate on “Maintenance of international peace and security: the impact of 
climate change” (July 2011) - http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2011/sc10332.doc.htm  
Conclusions on EU Climate Diplomacy (3106th Foreign Affairs Council – 18.07.2011) 
Ministerial  Workshop  on  Climate  Change  held  in  conjunction  with  the  Fourth  Pacific  Women’s 
Ministerial Meeting (July 2011) 

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2.3. 

Pacific ways of addressing development challenges 

Pacific  islanders  have  coped  with  their  structural  challenges  for  centuries.  Over  time,  in-
country solutions have emerged and PICTS have often combined forces at regional level on 
issues  such  as  political  cooperation,  finance,  development,  trade,  fisheries,  security,  law 
enforcement,  human  rights,  environment,  energy,  social  and  cultural  affairs,  transport, 
infrastructure, research, telecommunications, etc.  

PICTS have also addressed climate change. For example, in order to adapt to sea level rise, 
they  have  restored  mangroves,  protected  coral  reefs,  built  sea  walls,  water  reservoirs  and 
desalination  facilities,  developed  new  crops,  promoted  crop  diversification,  or  moved 
infrastructures and relocated populations. Certain countries are integrating migration into their 
adaptation toolbox. Regional cooperation is remarkable. For example, Micronesian countries 
and  territories  are  engaged  in  the  Micronesia  Challenge,  to  conserve  30%  of  near  shore 
coastal waters and 20% of forest land by 2020. Also, comprehensive regional frameworks are 
in place for climate change action and for disaster risk reduction and management.  

A growing but still relatively small number of donors and development partners are present in 
the  region.  Australia  and  New  Zealand  are  members  of  PIF  and  are  the  most  important 
bilateral donors. The Asian Development Bank is the main multilateral partner. US Compacts 
are a well-established instrument in the North Pacific. Taiwan, Japan and Korea are increasing 
their  assistance.  China  is  playing  an  ever  increasing  role  in  the  Pacific.  Other  bilateral  and 
multilateral partners are also increasing their engagement.  

Pacific  Leaders  have  established  the  "Cairns  Compact"  on  Strengthening  Development 
Coordination  (2009),  for  donors  to  reduce  aid  fragmentation,  ease  aid  administration  and 
improve aid effectiveness, through the increased use of country systems, multi-year funding 
commitments,  pooled  financial  resources,  the  delegation  of  aid  delivery  and  collaborative 
analytical  work.  With  its  development  partners,  the  PIF  Secretariat  has  coordinated  a 
Roadmap to strengthen the public expenditure management, procurement, accountability and 
monitoring  systems  of  the  Forum  Countries,  so  that  country  systems  are  widely  used  to 
channel  Official  Development  Assistance  (ODA),  including  through  budget  support  when 
eligibility criteria are met.  

In  2011,  Pacific  Leaders  reaffirmed  that  climate  change  is  the  single  greatest  threat  to  the 
region and stressed the need for adaptation finance. In order to improve countries' access to, 
and management of climate change resources, Forum Economic Ministers recommended that 
financing  methods  should  be  based  on  aid  effectiveness  principles  and  that  climate  change 
should be integrated in national budgets and development plans, in order for country systems 
to be used where possible, particularly through budget support, as the most effective form of 
delivery.  

3. 

ENHANCING EU-PACIFIC DEVELOPMENT AND CLIMATE COOPERATION  

EU external action has at its disposal a wide range of policies and instruments that are very 
relevant for the Pacific. Building on its network of EU Delegations and headquarters staff, the 
EU should engage with one voice in the region and promote EU values and common Pacific-
EU objectives and interests more effectively in multilateral fora, in international negotiations 
or  relations  with  other  players.  Coordinated  EU-wide  initiatives,  responsive  to  Pacific 
priorities, would maximize the added value of EU external action in the region.  

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The Commission's Communications on the EU Agenda for Change10 and the future of budget 
support11  propose  an  enhanced  policy  framework  for  more  focused  and  higher  impact  EU 
development  cooperation,  by  promoting  the  use  of  country  systems  and  budget  support 
wherever  feasible,  in  combination  with  an  enhanced  policy  dialogue  focusing  on  improving 
results and good governance.  

Development  and  climate  change  assistance  to  Pacific  countries  and  OCTs  from  the  EU 
Budget and the European Development Fund (EDF) increased substantially to approximately 
€785 million for the period 2008-201312.  

The structural constraints faced by PICTS makes them unique as development beneficiaries, 
makes EU assistance particularly important for the region and presents the EU with a set of 
interlinked challenges:  

•  to scale up financial commitment in the region by enhancing and complementing current 
ODA levels with a fair share of climate funds announced in international negotiations, as 
well as by catalyzing investment funding form other sources,  

•  to deepen policy dialogue and adapt delivery modalities to support reform more effectively 
within Pacific partners' constraints and specificities, so as to facilitate adequate absorption 
of scaled-up financial assistance ,  

•  to reinforce coordination and reduce aid fragmentation in the Pacific,  

•  to improve coordination at the UN, particularly on climate change.  

•  to  ensure  that  policies  other  than  development  continue  to  contribute  to  the  renewed 
Pacific-EU development partnership so that economic growth goes hand in hand with good 
governance, sustainability and shared responsibilities for common goods.  

3.1. 

Scaled up financial engagement  

Commission-managed  EU  funds  are  limited  relative  to  the  needs  in  the  Pacific.  Bilateral 
financial  commitment  by  EU  Member  States,  involving  a  focus  on  climate  change  in 
particular, is needed. Following a Joint Declaration on climate change13, the Commission and 
the  Forum  Secretariat  launched  a  Joint  Initiative14.  A  Plan  for  Action  is  being  prepared,  in 
association with Pacific and EU Member States and institutions, to deliver on the objectives 
of the Joint Initiative, for the EU to engage in a coordinated manner in the Pacific and to pool 
ODA and additional climate change funds, including by triggering investment funding.  

In addition to contributing to climate change related activities and institutional development, 
EU geographical and thematic programmes can also enable PICTS to access complementary 
sources of climate change funding (the Green Climate Fund, the business sector, the carbon 
market …).  

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Increasing the impact of EU Development Policy: an Agenda for Change; COM(2011)637 - 13.10.2011  
The future approach to EU budget support to third countries; COM(2011)638 - 13.10.2011 
Approximately €730 million from 10th EDF (€ 70 million of which to OCTs) and approximately €56 
million from the EU Budget  
http://www.gcca.eu/usr//Joint-Declaration-PIFS-EU-2008.pdf  
http://www.gcca.eu/usr//Protocole-d-entente-Signe-a-Strasbourg.pdf  

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Programming and policy dialogue will remain the key tool for defining cooperation priorities. 
The EU, in coordination with other donors, should continue accompanying PICTS efforts to 
improve national development plans and sectoral policies, in order to pursue results-oriented 
development  and  climate  change  adaptation  and  mitigation  strategies,  while  ensuring  sound 
management of scaled up assistance and sustainable practices.  

3.2. 

Pacific friendly delivery methods  

The  EU  Agenda  for  Change  proposes  increased  concentration  of  EU  cooperation  on 
maximum  three  sectors  in  order  to  maximise  results  and  impact.  While  two  or  three 
concentration sectors may be justified in the case of larger island countries, concentration in 
the majority of smaller islands should be limited to one sector.  

Structural constraints faced by PICTS require delivery methods to be adapted, limiting the use 
of project approaches which tend to overstretch small administrations.  

Sector programmes and budget support are more suited to deliver sustainable results as they 
align  with  national  development  plans  and  sector  strategies  and  contribute,  through  policy 
dialogue and regular performance assessments, to improved service delivery and institutional, 
policy  and  regulatory  outcomes.  The  definition  of  sound  national  development  plans  and 
sector strategies, the strengthening of public finance management (PFM) and the observance 
of  a  sound  macro-economic  framework  have  been  conducive  to  budget  support  in  New 
Caledonia, Pitcairn, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.  

EU-financed  regional  cooperation  in  the  Pacific  is  supported  by  well-functioning  regional 
organisations which enjoy political support from their member states and are financially and 
technically  well  equipped.  The  EU,  like  other  donors,  aligns,  through  contribution 
agreements,  to  those  organisation's  strategic  work  programme  and  effective  result-oriented 
monitoring systems.  

EU assistance will continue to be delivered through projects when eligibility requirements for 
other  methods  are  not  met  and  to  support  initiatives  run  by  civil  society  and  business 
associations, certain stand-alone infrastructure projects, etc.  

3.3. 

Capacity and efficiency development  

Many administrations in the Pacific face structural capacity constraints in improving sectoral 
policies and PFM systems or integrating climate change in development strategies. Regional 
organisations must play a crucial role in addressing these challenges. The EU should further 
support  regional  organisations  to  assist  their  members  on  policy  making,  planning  and 
delivery,  as  well  as  on  aid  management  and  implementation,  particularly  in  areas  such  as 
climate  change  adaptation  and  mitigation.  EU-Pacific  partnerships  to  transfer  specific 
expertise and facilitate institutional development should also be promoted.  

3.4. 

Improved coordination within the EU and with other partners  

The  limited  presence  of  EU  Member  States  in  the  Pacific  makes  it  easier  to  explore  the 
prospects for EU-wide joint programming and pooling of development and climate funds. In 
relation  to  coordination  with  non-EU  partners,  comprehensive  and  increasingly  intense 
coordination has been established with Australia and New Zealand which includes division of 
labour and two-way delegated cooperation. It makes the best use of comparative advantages 
and establishes a model available for other non-EU partners to join. Australia is the first non-

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European  donor  with  which  the  EU  has  established  an  agreement  on  delegated  aid 
cooperation  arrangements,  enabling  the  Australian  Agency  for  International  Development 
(AusAID) andthe Commission to capitalize on each others’ expertise and deliver significant 
aid outcomes. 

3.5. 

Improved coordination on climate change at the UN  

Pacific-EU  cooperation  on  climate  change,  which  has  been  growing  since  the  Joint 
Declaration  (2008)  and  the  Joint  Initiative  (2010),  has  led  to  a  common  approach  for  the 
Pacific  Island  States,  the  Association  of  Small  Islands  States  (AOSIS)  and  Small  Island 
Developing  States  in  the  United  Nations  Framework  Convention  on  Climate  Change 
(UNFCCC). The Pacific Islands and the EU should continue to promote common positions in 
terms of adaptation to and mitigation of climate change, through regional institutions.  

At the UNFCCC negotiation in Durban, the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), the AOSIS 
and the EU were united in their desire for an ambitious outcome and reflected this ambition in 
a common statement. The EU should continue to strengthen this alliance with LDCs and the 
AOSIS in order to step up pressure on other negotiating partners to increase their ambition on 
mitigation and adaptation.  

4. 

PROMOTING A MORE COHERENT EU POLICY MIX IN THE PACIFIC 

Building  on  the  Cotonou  Agreement  as  well  as  on  the  experience  gained  in  the 
implementation  of  the  EU  Strategy  for  the  Pacific,  the  EU  is  working  towards  a  more 
integrated external action policy and instrument mix in the region as well as a more coherent 
policy agenda towards the Pacific, in view of the 2014-2020 programming cycle.  

Cooperation  on  trade  and  fisheries,  as  well  as  on  research  and  higher  education,  can  also 
significantly contribute to further EU policy coherence in the region.  

•  EU-Pacific  cooperation  on  trade  is  substantial.  Building  on  the  Interim  Partnership 
Agreement concluded with PNG and Fiji, as well as on market access offers put forward 
by  other  countries,  the  EU  will  continue  working  towards  a  comprehensive  trade  and 
development  agreement  with  all  countries  in  the  region,  as  Pacific  ACP  Leaders  place  a 
high  priority  on  a  successful  conclusion  to  the  EPA  negotiations  in  2012.  Alternatively, 
Pacific  ACP  countries  could  join  the  Interim  Partnership  Agreement,  which  explicitly 
allows for this possibility.  

•  EU-Pacific  cooperation  on  fisheries  is  based  upon  substantial  EDF-financed  support,  as 
well  as  on  three  bilateral  Fisheries  Partnership  Agreements  and  multilateral  fisheries 
cooperation in the frame of the Western and Central Pacific Fishery Commission. The EU 
is stepping up its efforts to support the development of a sustainable fishery industry and to 
combat  illegal,  unreported  and  unregulated  fishing.  Joint  Pacific-EU  work  for  good 
fisheries  governance  within  the  Western  and  Central  Pacific  Fishery  Commission  should 
be enhanced. The establishment of a comprehensive fishery strategy for the Pacific to be 
implemented  through  the  effective  use  of  EU  instruments  (fisheries,  development, 
environment and research) could be considered.  

•  The  EU  is,  through  the  Research  Framework  Programme,  enhancing  the  EU's  research 
capabilities  on  Pacific  issues,  supporting  Pacific  research  initiatives  and  fostering 
cooperation between EU and Pacific research partners.  

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•  The  Erasmus  Mundus  programme  also  provides  opportunities  for  cooperation  on  higher 

education.  

The EU is further integrating human rights, democracy support and good governance into its 
policy mix in the region.  

•  The  EU  is  strengthening  its  cooperation  with  like-minded  partners  to  support  the 
ratification and implementation of human rights conventions and the Rome Statute on the 
International  Criminal  Court  across  the  region.  The  EU  pays  particular  attention  to 
addressing  issues  such  as  gender-based  violence  and  very  low  proportions  of  women  at 
decision-making levels in the Pacific.  

•  The  EU  continues  to  deploy  electoral  observation  missions  where  appropriate  and  is 
joining efforts with like-minded partners to develop a coordinated strategy for Fiji's return 
to  democracy  and  to  support  reconciliation  processes  and  conflict  prevention  initiatives 
across the region.  

•  The EU will continue to support PICTS in strengthening governance systems, including on 
environment  and  resource  management,  promoting  inter  alia  compliance  with  the 
International Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative 

In  order  to  reinforce  the  integration  of  climate  action  in  its  policy  mix,  the  EU  will  also 
develop  a  comprehensive  climate  diplomacy  strategy  in  the  Pacific,  for  EU  actors,  Member 
States and their national diplomatic services to address climate change at all political levels, to 
promote  and  support  the  implementation  of  climate  action  as  well  as  to  address  linkages 
between climate change and international security in the Pacific.  

5. 

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION  

The EU is committed to the Pacific both politically and as an influential development partner. 
In  an  increasingly  resource-constrained  environment,  it  is  imperative  to  enhance  efficiency 
and  effectiveness  by  concentrating  on  high-impact  and  high  EU  added-value  intervention 
areas and using aid-effective delivery mechanisms.  

(1) 

(2) 

Regular political dialogue between the EU and PICTS, Pacific regional organisations 
and like-minded partners should foster joint positions to ensure that the UN charter 
and  resolutions  are  respected  globally,  to  facilitate  a  sustainable  and  peaceful 
resolution  to  conflicts  worldwide  as  well  as  to  improve  development  and  climate 
change cooperation, particularly in the UNFCCC negotiations.  

By  2012,  all  Pacific  countries  will  have  benefited  from  additional  EU  funding  for 
climate change and some from the MDG initiative, on top of the EDF allocations for 
2008-2013. In programming the EU's development cooperation for the period 2014-
2020, the EEAS and Commission services will submit to EU Member States options 
for joint programming in the Pacific, as well as for an EU-wide mechanism allowing 
a  combination  of  EU  and  bilateral  resources  with  additional  support  for  climate 
change adaptation and mitigation.  

(3) 

EU support to mitigation in the region, particularly in PNG and the Solomon Islands, 
should promote synergies between the initiatives related to Forest Law Enforcement 

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(4) 

(5) 

(6) 

(7) 

(8) 

(9) 

(10) 

(11) 

Governance  and  Trade  (FLEGT)  and  Reducing  Emissions  from  Deforestation  and 
Forest Degradation (REDD).  

EU assistance to PICTS should be delivered via the most suitable method, including 
budget  support or  a  mix of aid delivery  methods, assessed on a case by case basis. 
The Commission's proposed new guidelines for EU's budget support will recognise 
the needs and specificities of the SIDS and OCTs.  

The EU should promote aid effectiveness principles in line with the Busan High level 
Forum  conclusions  and  commitments,  including  division  of  labour  and  joint 
programming, as well as the use of delegated cooperation with like-minded partners 
in the Pacific. The EU should seek to engage with other donors at sectoral level, by 
means  of  joint  programmes  to  support  partner  countries'  policies,  with  joint 
indicators,  disbursements  criteria,  reviews  and  policy  dialogue  with  partner 
governments.  

Building on the guidance from the Forum Economic Ministers, and in line with the 
"Cairns  Compact",  the  EU  should  endeavour  with  other  partners  to  develop  a 
methodology  to  improve  Pacific  Islands'  access  to  and  management  of  funding  for 
climate  change  and  to  implement  its  pilot  phase,  so  that  the  methodology  can  be 
replicated across the region.  

The  EU  should  engage  with  other  donors  in  MDG-related  sectors  which  are 
particularly  prone  to  climate  change,  such  as  water  and  sanitation  and  renewable 
energy. The EU should promote initiatives in these sectors to promote green growth, 
including through the Pacific Infrastructure Facility.  

To  avoid  overstretching  Pacific  partners'  capacities,  the  EU  should  promote  joint 
missions with other partners coordinated with PICTS and regional organisations.  

The  EU  should  support  Pacific  OCTs  efforts  to  cooperate  with  their  neighbours, 
including on the challenges of climate change.  

In  order  to  maximise  the  effectiveness  of  EU  Delegations  in  the  Pacific,  the  High 
Representative  and  the  Commission  will  assess  the  feasibility  and  impact  of 
redistributing  responsibilities  based  on  geographical  proximity  to  Pacific  partner 
countries.  

The EU should continue involving civil society, local authorities, the private sector 
and the research community in its cooperation in the region, by supporting regional 
networking and Pacific-EU partnerships and by promoting public interest and debate 
in  Europe  on  issues  of  common  concern  for  the  Pacific  Islands  Countries  and 
Territories and people. 

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