EU regional program committees to meet in French Guiana next week, with representatives of OECS, ACS, CARICOM and several Caribbean Countries
CAYENNE, French Guiana — The European regional cooperation program INTERREG Caraibes will be holding its fourth Monitoring Committee and third Selection Committee meetings on Wednesday, December 13, and Thursday, December 14, 2017, in Cayenne in French Guiana.
The Selection Committee will meet to review 14 projects on the following thematic priorities:
- Competitiveness, innovation, employment, development of a business flow in the area;
- Building capacity to respond to natural hazards;
- Protection and enhancement of the natural and cultural environment;
- Concerted response to public health issues;
- Support for renewable energy development initiatives; and
- Strengthen human capital (training, mobility, language learning).
It is also the first time that the first selection committee of the European Development Fund (EDF) will be held for the benefit of operators from the Caribbean states.
An EDF allocation of €2.9 million has been delegated to the Guadeloupe Regional Council in its capacity as managing authority for the INTERREG Caraibes program, thus enabling the political, economic and technical dialogue between CARICOM /CARIFORUM, the outermost regions and the OCTs (Overseas Countries and Territories) to be reinforced.
The Monitoring Committee will validate strategic decisions intended to ensure the proper functioning of the INTERREG program. It is made up of representatives of the Regional Council of Guadeloupe, assisted by the Joint Secretariat, the territorial authorities of French Guiana and Martinique, the community of Saint Martin, prefectures, the network of embassies of the zone, the European Commission, representatives of civil society, representatives of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
The Selection Committee, with a narrower composition, decides on the programming of the projects submitted to it. On Thursday, December 14, 12 projects will be presented to the Selection Committee for an ERDF application and six for an EDF.
About the INTERREG Caraibes Program
The INTERREG program is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) with an allocation of €64.2 million and supports cooperative actions to strengthen economic development in the Caribbean. The Guadeloupe region provides the management authority. It is intended to support projects involving stakeholders from the outermost regions (OR) of Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique and Saint Martin involved in partnerships with organizations in the wider Caribbean area, nearly 40 overseas countries or territories (OCTs).
Contact:
Joint Secretariat: Marie-Rose Lafleur
[email protected] 0590 47 06 02; France Caraïbe Communication: Gilles Gressier; [email protected] 0696 55 75 43
