Brussels, 10 September 2014/ EC/ ACP: European Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs, and representatives from 21 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, co-signed the National Indicative Programmes (NIP) under the 11th European Development Fund for the period 2014-2020 in Apia, Samoa, for a total amount of €339 million.
The signing ceremony took place on 2 September in the margins of the UN Third International Conference on Small Islands Developing States. The list of signatory countries includes 10 Caribbean (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago), 10 Pacific (Cook Islands, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Timor Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu), and one African country (Cape Verde).
After the signing ceremony, Commissioner Piebalgs said: “Today's signatures mark the official go-ahead to continue strengthening our development cooperation with the concerned countries. These documents lay down the priorities for our joint work for the next seven years and will allow us to move ahead with the preparations of the concrete projects and programmes.”
“For the European Union it is essential that our programmes are drawn up in close cooperation with our partner countries, based on governments’ own policies and strategies and reflecting their stated needs. This is how we ensure that programming documents really support areas where the EU can add value”, added Commissioner Piebalgs.
The funds are allocated as part of the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) under the framework of the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement.
What is a National Indicative Programme?
The National Indicative Programmes represent an important step in the programming of EU aid. EU Member States agreed in 2013 the overall amount for development cooperation that will be channelled to 78 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries through the 11th European Development Fund EDF during the financing period 2014-2020 (total amount €30.5 billion).
In parallel, the preparations of a NIP for each of these countries started, defining the strategy and priorities for EU aid in each particular country. These preparations are done in close cooperation with the partner countries so as to ensure that NIPs support national priorities and reflect the local context.
This is in line with the EU’s vision for future development cooperation, the “Agenda for Change”, which calls for resources to be targeted where they are most needed and can be the most effective. EU funding will focus on a maximum of three sectors per country (possibly four in the case of fragile countries) to achieve maximum impact and value for money of EU cooperation.
What are the next steps?
It is foreseen that by early 2015, the remaining NIPs will be finalised and signed. In parallel, work on preparing concrete projects and programmes has also started in all countries.

Table: National Indicative Programmes signed on 2 September 2014, by region

Caribbean countries

Country

Bilateral EU funding under the 11thEDF

Focal sectors

Antigua and Barbuda

EUR 3 million

Public Finance Management

Barbados

EUR 3.5 million

Sustainable energy

Dominica

EUR 4 million

Sustainable energy

Grenada

EUR 5 million

Health

Guyana

EUR 34 million

Climate change adaptation and disaster reduction; sustainable infrastructure (including sea defences)

Jamaica

EUR 46 million

Rule of law; environment and climate change

St Kitts and Nevis

EUR 2.8 million

Sustainable energy

St Lucia

EUR 6.9 million

Employment generation through private sector development

St Vincent and the Grenadines

EUR 7 million

Rural infrastructure (roads)

Trinidad and Tobago

EUR 9.7 million

Support to competitive and innovative economy

Total

EUR 121.9 million

Pacific countries

Country

Bilateral EU funding under the 11thEDF

Focal sectors

Cook Islands

EUR 1.4 million

Water and sanitation

Marshall Islands

EUR 9.1 million

Sustainable energy; measures in favour of civil society

Micronesia

EUR 14.2 million

Sustainable energy; measures in favour of civil society

Nauru

EUR 2.43 million

Sustainableenergy

Niue

EUR 0.3 million

Sustainableenergy

Palau

EUR 1.6 million

Sustainable energy; measures in favour of civil society

Samoa

EUR 20 million

Water and sanitation

Timor Leste

EUR 95 million

Good governance; rural development;measures in favour of civil society

Tonga

EUR 11.1 million

Sustainableenergy

Tuvalu

EUR 6.8 million

Water and sanitation;measures in favour of civil society

Total

EUR 161.93 million

West Africa

Country

Bilateral EU funding under the 11thEDF

Focal sectors

Cape Verde

EUR 55 million

Good governance and development

For more information

Website of the European Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs:

http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/piebalgs/index_en.htm

Website of DG Development and Cooperation – EuropeAid:

http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/where/index_en.htm

– DG DEVCO

(Photo: European Development Commissioner Mr Andris Piebalgs addressing the third international conference on Small Island Developing States in Samoa./ EEAS)