Interreg Caraïbes to hold Stakeholder Meeting in Saint Lucia
INTERREG/OECS Joint Media Statement
The Joint Secretariat of the Interreg Caraïbes Programme in collaboration with the OECS Commission will host an informational session on Thursday July 19th 2018 in Saint Lucia.
The meeting is organised to provide insight into the Interreg Caraïbes Programme in an effort to better enable project managers to access funding opportunities and engage in a programme that fosters equitable and sustainable cooperation between the French West Indies and Caribbean countries of the OECS.
The Interreg Caraïbes Programme is led by the Regional Council of Guadeloupe, as the Managing Authority, and is a European Programme for Guadeloupe, French Guyana, Martinique and St. Martin (French and European territories) to undertake cooperation activities with their neighbours.
The Programme has a budget of approximately 86 million euros to support projects that align with the programme strategy and the needs of the territories. The budget includes 64 million euros, under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), to support activities of European project holders and a delegate budget of approximately 2.9 million euros, under the European Development Fund (EDF), to support the activities of non-European project holders.
Interreg Caraïbes is intended to address various issues shared by these territories, such as:
- Strengthen the competitiveness of Caribbean companies that create wealth and jobs;
- Strengthen the capacity to respond to natural hazards;
- Protect and enhance the natural and cultural environment in the Caribbean;
- Develop a coordinated response across the Caribbean to common issues of public health;
- Support the development of renewable energy in Eastern Caribbean; and
- Strengthen human capital.