JOINT COMMUNICATION TO THE COUNCIL JOINT EU-CARIBBEAN PARTNERSHIP STRATEGY
Date: 2012-06-26
Institutions: European Commission, High Representative of the Union
Subjects: Association of Caribbean States, Caribbean Islands, Haiti, aid to disaster victims, climate change, economic cooperation, fight against crime, natural disaster, police cooperation, political cooperation, regional integration, tourism

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

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

Brussels, 26.6.2012  
JOIN(2012) 18 final 

JOINT COMMUNICATION TO THE COUNCIL 

JOINT EU-CARIBBEAN PARTNERSHIP STRATEGY 

EN 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
  
 
JOINT COMMUNICATION TO THE COUNCIL 

JOINT EU-CARIBBEAN PARTNERSHIP STRATEGY 

INTRODUCTION 

At the May 2010 EU-CARIFORUM1 Summit in Madrid, Heads of States and Governments 
agreed to work on a Joint EU-Caribbean Partnership Strategy (JECS) and identified five core 
areas for closer cooperation: regional integration, reconstruction of Haiti, climate change and 
natural disasters, crime and security and joint action in multilateral fora. Based on the outline 
agreed  by  Heads  of  State  in  Madrid,  the  present  document  has  been  elaborated  by  a  joint 
working  group,  including  the  European  External  Action  Service  (EEAS)  and  Commission 
services, and representatives of EU Member States and CARIFORUM countries.  

The EU and the Caribbean share a long history and a broad base of common values. Through 
its overseas regions, countries and territories, the EU is also physically part of the Caribbean. 
Both  regions  share  a  commitment  to  global  peace,  progress  and  prosperity  as  well  as  to 
democracy  and  the  rule  of  law.  For  the  Caribbean,  the  EU  has  been  and  remains  a  reliable 
development  partner,  whose  support  has  been  important  in  the  region's  efforts  towards 
sustainable development.  

Relations  are  currently  underpinned  by  the  Cotonou  Agreement,  the  EU  –CARIFORUM 
Economic  Partnership  Agreement,  and  the  bi-regional  political  dialogue.  These  are 
complemented by other regional cooperation frameworks in which the EU and the Caribbean 
participate, such as the EU-Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) Partnership.  

This  draft  Joint  Strategy  aims  to  develop  a  new  dimension  to  the  relationship,  allowing  the 
EU and the Caribbean nations to deepen dialogue and structure their cooperation in order to 
address together the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. The guiding principles 
for  the  Joint  Strategy  are  joint  ownership,  mutual  accountability  and  solidarity,  co-
management  and  co-responsibility.  It  reflects  the  shared  commitment  of  CARIFORUM  and 
the  EU  to  the  principles  enshrined  in  the  UN  Charter  and  in  international  law,  including  in 
particular the respect for and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms, rule of 
law and democratic governance.  

The purpose of this Joint Communication is to seek the endorsement by the Council of 
the proposed "Joint EU-Caribbean Partnership Strategy". 

1 

The  group  of  CARIFORUM  countries  includes:  Antigua  and  Barbuda,  Bahamas,  Barbados,  Belize, 
Cuba,  Dominica,  Dominican  Republic,  Grenada,  Guyana,  Haiti,  Jamaica,  Montserrat,  Saint  Kitts  and 
Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago 

EN 

2 

   EN 

 
                                                 
1. THEME I: REGIONAL INTEGRATION AND 
COOPERATION IN THE WIDER CARIBBEAN 

1.1. 

OVERVIEW 

There is potential to expand growth in the Caribbean through trade, investment and tourism 
and by developing niche markets and other economic opportunities. However, there are also 
persistent challenges to overcome. Globalisation have left small, vulnerable developing states 
such as those in the Caribbean challenged in trying to fully participate in a highly competitive 
global economy.  

Regional  integration  and  cooperation  is  considered  the  best  means  to  facilitate  human  and 
social  progress  and  sustainable  long-term  development  in  the  Caribbean.  The  Caribbean 
Community (CARICOM) and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) are the 
integration  organisations.  CARIFORUM2  facilitates  regional 
two  principal  regional 
cooperation as does the EU's association with its overseas countries and territorities (OCTs). 
The EU, based on its own experience continues to be an active partner in supporting regional 
integration and cooperation to accelerate and streamline development goals in the Caribbean. 
The  CARIFORUM-EU  EPA  builds  a  trade  partnership  for  increased  competitiveness, 
economic  growth  and  development,  supporting  regional  integration  in  the  Caribbean  and 
participation in the world trading system.  

1.2. 

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 

The Caribbean and EU share a commitment to promoting regional integration and cooperation 
which  are  particularly  effective  in  addressing  the  vulnerabilities  associated  with  a  group  of 
countries  of  predominantly  small  island  states.  Both  sides  have  identified  specific  areas  of 
strategic cooperation in support of deepened regional integration and cooperation, facilitating 
sustainable economic and human development. The areas of cooperation include but are not 
limited to: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

2 

Strengthening regional integration and cooperation processes in the Caribbean region 
including  with  neighbouring  EU  overseas  departments  and  territories,  as  well  as 
neighbouring countries in Central and South America; 

Implementation  of  the  Caribbean  Single  Market  and  Economy  and  of  the  OECS 
Economic Union; 

Effective  implementation  of  the  EU-CARIFORUM  EPA,  with  an  emphasis  on  the 
opportunities it offers to the economic operators in the Caribbean; 

Fostering of a healthy economic and investment climate in the Caribbean enhancing 
the integration of regional markets and competitiveness at the international level; 

The development of enterprise through private sector investments particularly in the 
service sector including financial services and tourism and the cultural industries, in 

CARIFORUM memebership includes all the CARICOM Member States, (except Montserrat), and non- 
CARICOM members the Dominican Republic and Cuba. 

EN 

3 

   EN 

 
                                                 
• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

agro-business  and  manufacturing.  Promote  innovation,  information,  communication 
and technology and competition; 

The  development  of 
international trade; 

infrastructure  networks 

to  facilitate 

intra-regional  and 

Energy diversification, interconnection and security; 

The  promotion  of  green  economic  growth  with  specific  support  for  efforts  to 
preserve  bio-diversity,  taking  account  of  the  importance  of  water  resources,  the 
tourism industry, and the agricultural and the bio-research sectors; 

Education, skills development through training and cooperation in the area of science 
and technology; 

Regional approach to Food security and health; 

The promotion of poverty alleviation, social cohesion, social dialogue, development 
of civil society, including social partners, non-discrimination and gender equality, the 
promotion  of  decent  work  and  internationally  recognized  labour  standards  and 
enhancement of youth involvement in national development. 

1.3. 

JOINT ACTION 

The  Partners  will  pursue  a  long  term  programme  of  joint  action  focused  on  growth  and 
sustainable  development,  and  addressing  common  challenges,  with  particular  emphasis  on 
regional integration and cooperation. 

Joint actions in this context could include : 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

An intensified and inclusive EU-Caribbean political and policy dialogue addressing 
issues of interest to both regions and global challenges; 

Actions  contributing  to  coherence  among  the  various  integration  and  cooperation 
arrangements 
the  ACP-European  Union 
partnership, the EU-LAC cooperation mechanisms and the EU/OCT association; 

the  Caribbean, 

involving 

including 

Actions contributing to deepening regional integration and cooperation including the 
strengthening  of  institutional  capacities  of  regional  organisations  in  the  Caribbean 
and  at  the  national  level  to  increase  effective  definition,  implementation  and 
sustained follow-up of policies at the regional level; 

Support to efforts of institutional consolidation at regional and sub-regional levels. 

Programmes  contributing  to  effective  implementation  of  the  CARIFORUM-EU 
EPA, the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) and the OECS Economic 
Union as well as strengthening links between CARIFORUM and the EU’s OCTs and 
ORs particularly in areas of trade and energy; 

Actions  contributing  to  create  a  healthy  economic  and  investment  climate  and 
fostering productive capacities in the Caribbean:  

EN 

4 

   EN 

 
• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Development of industrial and export strategies; 

Research & Development and training in the areas of innovation, science and 
technology; 

Reinforcing Competitiveness and promoting innovation; 

Regional  business  development,  with  particular  emphasis  on  development  of 
regional SMEs; 

Energy, with particular emphasis on renewable energy; 

Interconnectivity,  including  transport  and  information  and  communication 
technology. 

• 

• 

• 

Contribute  to  the  promotion  of  decent  work  and  internationally  recognized  labour 
standards to support human development, social cohesion and economic growth; 

Contribute  to  the  development  of  a  Caribbean  wide  framework  for  an  effective 
regional health strategy; 

Work towards development  of  a strategy on food security, quality and diversity, in 
the  Caribbean,  making  use  of  new  technologies  to  improve  productivity  and 
competitiveness. 

EN 

5 

   EN 

 
2. THEME II: RECONSTRUCTION AND INSTITUTIONAL 
SUPPORT TO HAITI 

2.1. 

OVERVIEW 

On 12 January 2010, the Republic of Haiti suffered one of the most devastating earthquakes 
in modern times. An estimated 250 thousand people lost their lives and 1.5 million were left 
in need of emergency shelter. The earthquake caused massive damage to social and economic 
infrastructure.  The  earthquake  exacerbated  the  country's  existing  problems:  poverty, 
insecurity,  environmental  degradation  and  vulnerability  to  disasters.  The  2009  UN  Human 
Development Index ranked Haiti 145 out of 162 countries.  

Haiti has been prioritised within this Joint Caribbean-EU Partnership Strategy because of the 
magnitude  of  its  needs.  Lessons  learnt,  particularly  in  disaster  risk  reduction  and  reducing 
vulnerability, will also be relevant across the entire Caribbean region. 

2.2. 

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 

Haiti is on the road to recovering from its most urgent needs, thanks also to substantial EU 
and  Caribbean  humanitarian  aid.  The  country  still  faces,  however  daunting  reconstruction, 
economic  and  social  challenges.  Consolidating  Haiti's  democratic  institutions,  improving 
governance,  the  reduction  of  poverty  and  social  inequities  and  the  consolidation  of  the 
administration  remain  formidable  challenges  to  which  the  EU  and  the  Caribbean  could 
provide  substantial  and  complementary  support,  in  full  coordination  with  the  Haitian 
government  and  with  other  international  donors.  There  is  also  scope  for  enhancing  Haiti's 
integration  into  the  Caribbean  regional  context.  The  joint  programming  of  the  EDF  will 
contribute  to  advance  Haiti's  role  in  the  intra-Caribbean  cooperation  and  foster  increased 
participation in the regional integration process. 

2.3. 

JOINT ACTION 

CARIFORUM and EU joint actions in this context could include : 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Coordinating actions in support of the reconstruction of Haiti, within existing donor 
coordination structures, and develop the joint CARIFORUM-EU actions building on 
the joint EU programming for Haiti; 

Mobilising  relevant  cooperation 
instruments 
Partnership Agreement and the EU-LAC process; 

in 

the  framework  of  ACP-EC 

Supporting  the  functioning  and  consolidation  of  Haitian  democracy  through  free, 
transparent and credible elections, respect for and promotion of human rights and the 
rule of law, judicial reforms and the strengthening of civil society as well as urgent 
measures to fight corruption; 

Actions  to  ensure  Haiti's  full  participation  in  the  CARIFORUM-EU  EPA  and 
Carribbean  Single  Market  and  Economy  (CSME),  including  the  development  of 
institutional capacity in Haiti; 

EN 

6 

   EN 

 
• 

• 

Actions in the area of disaster preparedness and risk reduction strategies, including 
the  development  of  mechanisms  such  as  a  regional  building  code  to  improve  the 
capacity of the region to mitigate the effects of natural disasters; 

Developing  risk  transfer  mechanisms  and  financing  for  risk  reduction,  such  as  the 
Caribbean  Catastrophic  Risk  Insurance  Facility  (CCRIF),  the  application  of  best 
practices to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and 
other Caribbean wide institutions specialising in disaster management. 

EN 

7 

   EN 

 
3. THEME III: CLIMATE CHANGE AND NATURAL 
DISASTERS 

3.1. 

OVERVIEW 

Climate Change and its consequences are key obstacles to development and the achievement 
of  the  Millennium  Development  goals.  Caribbean  countries  are  mostly  Small  Island 
Developing States, have low-lying coastal zones and are particularly vulnerable to the effects 
of  rising  sea  levels,  threatening  coastal  communities,  infrastructure  and  freshwater  supplies. 
The  increase  in  temperature  and  acidity  of  sea  water  caused  by  greenhouse  gases  causes 
serious damage to coral reefs, leading to the degradation of the region's marine biodiversity. 

The small size of most Caribbean nations also make them more vulnerable to the impact of 
natural  disasters.  A  single  hurricane  can  wipe  out  the  economic  base  of  an  entire  country, 
including  infrastructure  and  all  main  sources  of  economic  activity  and  income,  putting 
additional  strain  on  limited  financial  resources.  The  challenges  are  compounded  by 
difficulties  of  distance  and  geography,  which  hamper  the  broadening  and  consolidation  of 
their economic base. 

3.2. 

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 

The EU and CARIFORUM Member States, as signatories to the Kyoto Protocol, have worked 
together to advance climate change negotiations, and developed policies to reduce the impact 
of  climate  change  and  environmental  degradation.  They  share  an  interest  in  achieving  a 
comprehensive,  fair  and  legally-binding  outcome  under  the  United  Nations  Framework 
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC). The CARIFORUM member states and the EU will 
continue their efforts to reach an ambitious international climate agreement.  

Natural hazards such as hurricanes and earthquakes cannot be avoided, but steps can be taken 
to  reduce  risks  and  mitigate  impacts  by  addressing  the  root  causes  of  vulnerability  and 
increasing capacity to cope with the consequences. Five priority areas have been identified for 
cooperation:  

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

adapting  to  the  effects  of  climate  change  without  prejudice  to  achieving  the 
Millennium Development Goals;  

strengthening disaster prevention and risk reduction as well as enhancing monitoring, 
situation awareness, assessment and early warning systems for disaster management 
and response;  

reducing deforestation through the sustainable management of forests;  

enhancing participation in the global carbon market through the Clean Development 
Mechanism (CDM);  

integrating climate change into poverty reduction efforts. 

3.3. 

JOINT ACTION 

CARIFORUM  and  EU  joint  actions  in  this  area,  in  line  with  the  Global  Climate  Change 
Alliance (GCCA) objectives and the EU-LAC Madrid Action Plan could include: 

EN 

8 

   EN 

 
• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Enhancing  cooperation  in  international  negotiations,  including  through  regular 
consultations  and  joint  initiatives  to  promote  the  successful  conclusion  of  a  post-
2012 international climate agreement under the UNFCCC; 

Supporting  a  comprehensive  approach  to  address  climate  change  by  prioritizing 
adaptation and mitigation measures, in particular by adapting the principles of green 
growth and by providing access to renewable energy;  

Strengthening  regional  disaster  and  emergency  response  capacity,  with  particular 
emphasis  on  adaptation,  disaster  risk  reduction  and  interoperability,  as  well  as 
monitoring,  situation  awareness  and  early  warning  systems.  In  this  context,  also 
work on the linkage between short and long term actions; 

Mainstreaming  climate  change  policies  into  national  and  regional  development 
policies and strategies as well as into cooperation/partnership agreements; 

Ensuring that the vulnerability of SIDS and low-lying costal countries remains high 
on the global development agenda, including in the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement 
and the EU-LAC process; 

Encourage a greater role for training, research&development and technology transfer 
and eco-innovation; 

Recognize  the  Caribbean  Sea  as  a  special  area  in  the  context  of  sustainable 
development  and  work  to  support  frameworks  aimed  at  protecting  its  fragile 
ecosystems and unique bio-diversity. 

EN 

9 

   EN 

 
4. THEME IV: CRIME AND SECURITY 

4.1. 

OVERVIEW 

Transnational  criminal  activities,  in  particular  trafficking  of  illicit  drugs  and  related  crimes, 
represent a growing concern for the EU and the Caribbean. The Caribbean is a major transit 
region  for  illicit  drugs  from  South  and  Central  America;  the  collateral  damage  of  the  drug 
trade is huge and takes an important toll on the societies: it fuels corruption, undermines the 
rule  of  law  and  leads  to  more  organised  crime.  The  increase  in  local  drug  trafficking  and 
abuse  weakens  the  social  tissues  and  generates  gang  violence.  The  laundering  of  large 
amounts  of  illicit  money  distorts  the  economy  and  undermines  efforts  of  sustainable 
development.  This  situation  has  a  detrimental  effect  on  long  term  prospects  of  growth, 
stability and development.  

Areas of specific concern to the Caribbean and the EU include: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Trafficking  of  drugs  and  related  crimes  including  gang  violence  and  money 
laundering; 

Illegal traffic and trade in small arms and light weapons; 

Impact of criminal activities on human security of Caribbean societies; 

The  social  and  security  problems  created  by  the  return  of  criminals  back  to  the 
Caribbean from overseas; 

Trafficking in persons and kidnapping; 

Insufficient capacity for maritime and airspace border control; 

Non-compliance with international standards in the financial sector. 

4.2. 

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 

Working together to fight criminal networks is a priority of the Joint Strategy. Strengthening 
cooperation  and  capacity  building  in  areas  such  as  policing,  judicial  processes,  and 
intelligence  sharing  are  key  aspects  in  this  regard.  Equally,  the  root  causes  behind  criminal 
activity and the social impact need to be addressed.  

EU-Caribbean cooperation in  the fight against drugs is  conducted  in the onctext  of the EU-
LAC Coordination and Cooperation Mechanism on Drugs. The "Panama Action Plan" and the 
priorities identfied in Port of Spain in 2007 sets out a range of priorities for common action in 
this  regard.  Caribbean-EU  cooperation  in  the  fight  against  crime  should  also  include 
cooperation  with  the  relevant  UN  organizations,  Interpol,  OAS  and  Europol  and  include 
exchange of information and best practices. 

4.3. 

JOINT ACTION 

CARIFORUM-EU  security  cooperation  is  based  on  the  principles  of  shared  responsibility 
between  producing,  transit  and  drug  consumer  countries.  It  aims  to  develop  integrated  and 
balanced approaches.  

EN 

10 

   EN 

 
CARIFORUM and EU joint actions in this context could include : 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Supporting  the  establishment  of  a  region-wide  strategy  for  addressing  crime, 
insecurity, drug trafficking, financial crime etc; 

Renewing efforts to implement the "Port of Spain priorities" in the areas of control of 
the  most  vulnerable  ports;  intelligence  sharing  in  precursor  control;  programmes  to 
adress  root  causes  of  crime  and  delinquency  and  demand  reduction;  as  well  as  the 
the  OECD  Financial  Action  Task  Force 
promotion  of  compliance  with 
Recommendations  and  the  increased  cooperation  among  regional  and  international 
bodies, including the UNODC; 

Capacity building in border control management, including exchanges of experts and 
technical assistance; 

Fully implementing the UN Programme of Action to prevent, combat and eradicate 
the  illicit  trade  in  small  arms  and  light  weapons  with  maritime  cooperation  as  a 
priority  area,  including  information  sharing  and  further  developing  operational 
cooperation between interested actors in the Caribbean and EU Member States; 

Supporting  capacity  building  of  justice  administrations  and  judicial  reform  in 
fighting transnational crime. 

EN 

11 

   EN 

 
5. THEME V: JOINT ACTION IN BI-REGIONAL AND 
MULTILATERAL FORA AND ON GLOBAL ISSUES 

5.1. 

OVERVIEW 

The  Caribbean  and  the  EU  face  a  number  of  common  challenges  and  concerns  and  are 
committed  to  act  in  a  coordinated  manner  to  find  joint  responses  at  the  international  level. 
Political dialogue and consultations are already taking place at different levels to tackle global 
issues  in  bi-regional  and  multilateral  fora,  as  illustrated  at  the  recent  COP  17  meeting  in 
Durban.  

Together,  the  CARIFORUM  and  the  EU  represent  42  countries.  Through  more  frequent 
consultations,  better  alignment  of  positions  and  strengthened  coordination,  the  two  regions 
could  have  a  more  decisive  impact  on  topics  of  mutual  importance,  such  as:  promotion  of 
human  rights,  democratic  values  and  governance;  reform  of  the  United  Nations  and  the 
international  financial  system  and  institutions;  coordinated  response  to  the  global  financial 
and economic crisis; attainment of the Millennium Development Goals; and the conclusion of 
the Doha Development Agenda. 

5.2. 

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 

The  partners  will  strengthen  dialogue  on  global  issues  to  identify  areas  of  cooperation, 
coordinate positions and jointly undertake specific initiatives and actions. Both partners wish 
to promote and sustain a system of effective multilateralism, with strong, representative and 
legitimate  institutions.  A  higher  degree  of  coordination  of  policies  and  exchange  of 
information  will  allow  for  greater  common  impact  in  consultations  and  in  sensitizing  third 
parties on issues of mutual concern. 

The  EU  and  CARIFORUM  countries  will  aim  to  coordinate  in  multilateral  institutions  of 
which they are both members (UN, International Financial Institutions, WTO, etc.) and they 
will  endeavour  to  take  into  account  the  interests  and  concerns  of  the  other  party  in 
international groupings or organizations to which either partner belongs (G8, G20, Alliance of 
Small Island States (AOSIS), etc.). 

5.3. 

JOINT ACTIONS  

Through  policy  and  political  dialogue,  the  two  regions  will  consult  on  topics  of  broader 
interest  and  identify  possible  common  positions  as  well  as  joint  efforts  towards  the 
implementation of shared priorities. 

Joint actions in this context could include : 

• 

• 

Working together on the promotion of human rights, democratic principles, the rule 
of law and good governance, including free and fair electoral processes, combating 
corruption,  money  laundering,  financing  of  terrorism,  organized  crime  and  tax 
evasion; 

Working together on promoting reform of the UN System, with the aim of enhancing 
its  representativeness,  transparency,  accountability,  efficiency  and  effectiveness, 
including the comprehensive reform of the Security Council; 

EN 

12 

   EN 

 
• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Development,  whenever  possible,  of  joint  regional  positions  within  the  UN  system 
and  the  international  financial  institutions  and  strive  to  support  each  other’s 
initiatives; 

Contributing  to  the  modernization  the  IMF  and  World  Bank  to,  inter  alia,  better 
reflect  the  changing  world  economy  through  greater  representation  of  dynamic 
emerging markets and developing countries; 

Addressing  the  challenges  of  structural  reforms  that  strengthen  regulation  and 
oversight, boost and sustain global demand and foster job creation in the bi-regional 
context through the Cotonou Agreement and the EPA as well as in the World Bank, 
IMF, the G8 and the G20; 

Developing  instruments  to  strengthen  financial  safety  nets,  helping  vulnerable 
countries to better resist sudden external shocks; 

In  keeping  with  their  commitment  to  a  rules-based,  multilateral  trading  system, 
regarding trade as a key engine for growth and development the partners will pursue 
regular  consultations  and  an  active  negotiating  agenda  at  the  multilateral  level  to 
engage in across-the-board negotiations to bring the Doha Development Round, to a 
successful,  ambitious,  comprehensive  and  balanced  conclusion,  building  on  the 
progress achieved so far; 

Continue to support efforts to make developing countries, and in particular the small 
and vulnerable economies, more competitive on a global scale. 

EN 

13 

   EN 

 
6. IMPLEMENTATION MODALITIES AND MONITORING 
MECHANISMS 

6.1. 

IMPLEMENTATION MODALITIES 

This  partnership  will  involve,  and  be  implemented  by,  a  large  number  of  institutional  and 
non-institutional actors in the EU and in the Caribbean region at regional, national and local 
levels.  Its  effective  implementation  will  be  the  shared  responsibility  of  all  CARIFORUM 
countries and EU Member States and institutions.  

The  identified  joint  actions  should  be  complementary  to  and  pursued  through  the  existing 
agreements, structures and instruments for cooperation between the Caribbean and the EU to 
promote synergies and avoid duplication. 

Civil society, non-state actors and parliaments have an important role in the implementation 
of the Joint Stategy and will be involved through an inclusive dialogue. 

The  implementation  of  the  Joint  EU-Caribbean  Partnership  Strategy  will  be  financially 
supported  as  appropriate  by  existing  instruments,  such  as  the  European  Development  Fund 
(EDF), the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI), the European Regional Development 
Fund  (ERDF),  the  Caribbean  Development  Fund,  the  EU  Thematic  Programmes,  and  the 
Instrument for Stability, the future Partnership Instrument, the Caribbean Investment Facility 
or their successors, as well as by financial institutions, such as the European Investment Bank 
(EIB) and the Caribbean Development Bank. Where relevant and possible, these instruments 
will be complemented by further contributions by CARIFORUM countries and EU Member 
States.  

6.2.  MONITORING MECHANISMS 

The  regular  meetings  of  leaders  from  both  regions  (including  all  relevant  representatives  of 
EU  and  CARIFORUM  institutions)  will  continue  to  provide  political  guidance  to  the 
partnership. These meetings will review progress, provide new orientations to the strategy and 
give  instructions  on  the  way  forward  taking  into  consideration  new  global  challenges  and 
regional imperatives. 

In  addition  to  the  political  dialogue,  a  Joint  CARIFORUM-EU  Working  Group  based  in 
Brussels  will  periodically  monitor  and  evaluate  progress,  and  make  appropriate 
recommendations.  This  working  group  will  consist  of  officials  from  the  European  External 
Action Service, the European Commission, CARIFORUM and EU Member States, . Experts 
from  the  OCTs  and  Outermost  Regions  can  be  associated,  where  necessary.  The  working 
group will provide a progress report to leaders on a regular basis. 

EN 

14 

   EN