European Union

Dear visitor:

Welcome to the website of the Delegation of the European Union to Trinidad and Tobago!

Trinidad and Tobago and the European Union have enjoyed a longstanding partnership. As the European Chargé d`Affaires a.i. in Trinidad and Tobago, under the authority of H.E. Robert Kopecky, Head of Delegation (resident in Georgetown, Guyana), I am working with the team of the EU Delegation in Port of Spain to contribute to, as well as to consolidate, Trinidad and Tobago - EU relations in the political, economic and social arenas.

The European Union is committed to its partnership with Trinidad and Tobago and recognises the pivotal role this country plays in all facets of development of the Caribbean region. We view Trinidad and Tobago as a key player in the Caribbean regional integration process and as a leading force in the pursuit of citizen security and the fight against organised crime in the country as well as in the region.

Thanks to its thriving private sector, Trinidad and Tobago has already started to seize the opportunities and benefits deriving from the Cariforum-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), but much more still needs to be done to make this partnership blossom to its full potential. My personal objective during my mandate here for the years to come,  is to work hard to make the relationship between the EU and Trinidad and Tobago a full fledged relationship between peers, with the mutual respect and interest as it should be between like minded partners.

The long standing relationship between the European Union and Trinidad and Tobago has also been consolidated over the years through our development cooperation in the context of the Cotonou Agreement (between the EU and the countries of Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific–ACP). Since 2007, the European Union has funded development programmes and projects in Trinidad and Tobago to the tune of over € 100 million (approx. TT$ 1 billion). We have been financing activities to protect the environment, develop infrastructure, improve health care and education, reduce poverty and foster inclusiveness and social cohesion. We have also supported the fight against illegal drugs and illegal economic activities.

Current cooperation programmes focus on assisting Trinidad and Tobago to develop a more diversified and competitive economy, by increasing domestic food production, protecting the environment and improving governance, accountability and transparency in the management of the public goods. Additionally, the EU Delegation in Port of Spain is actively pursuing the implementation of the Economic Partnership Agreement and is responsible for the implementation of several regional cooperation programmes between CARIFORUM (the CARICOM Member-States plus the Dominican Republic) and the European Union.

I invite you to learn more about the EU and the work of the EU Delegation in Trinidad and Tobago. Please explore the contents of this website and feel free to contact me and the EU Delegation for additional information.

ABOUT THE CHARGÉ D’AFFAIRES
Mrs. Daniela Tramacere arrived in Port of Spain on 3 January, 2012 to take up duty as Chargé d`Affaires a.i. of the European Union Delegation to Trinidad and Tobago. Mrs. Tramacere is part of the European External Action Service (EEAS), the diplomatic service created in 2011 to support the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affaires and Security Policy.

Mrs. Tramacere is an Italian national and has long standing experience in development cooperation and foreign relations. She is a macro economist by training. She joined the European Commission External Relations services in 1996 after having worked in several development cooperation programmes for different institutions and international organisations, both in Latin America and Asia. 

Mrs. Tramacere was previously posted in New Delhi as Head of the Economic Co-operation Section in the EU Delegation to India, Nepal and Bhutan in Delhi (2005 – 2008); and in Buenos Aires as Head of the Cooperation Section  in the EU Delegation to Argentina  (2001- 2005). In the last three years, before being posted to Trinidad and Tobago, she served at Headquarters, lately in charge of political analysis, relations and programming of cooperation with Somalia at the EEAS and previously in charge of humanitarian aid for the  Occupied Palestinian Territories and Middle East at the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office (2008-2010).