Blog: Unlocking the value of the Overseas Countries and Territories - Hoofdinhoud

OCT-EU Forum

Today I find myself in the British Virgin Islands to attend the 13th edition of the OCT-EU Forum, which takes place annually and is one of the opportunities for dialogue with the Overseas Countries and Territories (commonly referred to as OCTs). While I'm here, I thought it was a pertinent time to give my views on the importance of our cooperation.

As you may know there are 25 OCTs - mainly small islands - outside mainland Europe, which have constitutional ties with EU member States (Denmark, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom). OCTs are spread from the Poles to the Tropics and are not part of the European Union but have a special "associate" status. The objective of our association is to enhance the OCTs’ competitiveness, strengthen their resilience, reduce their economic and environmental vulnerability and promote cooperation between them and other partners.

This year marks an important point for the EU-OCT relations. The Overseas Association Decision, which has been in force since January 2014, has signalled a real shift toward a reciprocal relationship based on mutual interests between partners, and covers a broad range of aspects of cooperation between the Union and the OCTs. In addition, the imminent entry into force of the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) will very soon offer the resources to achieve the objectives of our partnership. For the period 2014-2020 The EU has allocated €365 million to the OCTs (with an additional €218 for Greenland).

I am convinced that our partnership has the potential to deliver even more in terms of focus and results. I hope that today’s Forum will provide us with the opportunity to engage in an in-depth dialogue on topics of mutual interest and explore how our cooperation can further contribute to the achievement of our shared objectives.

The discussions of this year's edition will focus on regional cooperation and the sustainable use of natural resources - two issues of critical importance for all OCTs, but also at the heart of the EU’s broader development policy. With our regional allocation to OCTs having doubled under the 11th European Development Fund, we have a real opportunity to undertake large-scale projects and to make the best use of the funds available, fostering competitiveness, innovation and green growth. OCTs host extraordinary terrestrial and marine biodiversity but are also particularly vulnerable to climate change, which could severely impact their environment and undermine their sustainable development. Initiatives in the field of sustainable use of natural resources will therefore be central to safeguarding and promoting the environmental wealth of OCTs.

I am confident that today’s discussions will provide a solid base for our cooperation, and our partnership, for the coming years.