The European Union & the Caribbean: A strategic geopolitical space and a long-standing partnership

Why the Caribbean Matters for the EU

The Caribbean’s strategic location and strong regional organisations (e.g. CARICOM, OECS) make it a key partner for the EU in addressing global challenges.

The Caribbean is a bridge between North and South America, and across the Atlantic to Europe. Its maritime routes and proximity to the Panama Canal give it key political importance. This is underpinned by deep people-to-people ties: millions of Caribbean citizens live in the EU, and cultural exchanges continue to strengthen these bonds.

We share the same vision of the world. Caribbean states are vital defenders of the multilateral order, with 16 votes at the UN. CARICOM was among the first organisations worldwide (alongside EU, the G7 and NATO) to condemn the Russian’s invasion of Ukraine, on the very day it began, 24 February 2022.

Finally, Caribbean countries are leaders on climate. As COP31 gets under way, the region is a powerful advocate on climate change, resilience, and access to finance for Small Island Developing States.

European Union, 2026

Key Areas of Cooperation and shared priorities 

Climate Resilience : The Caribbean is among the regions most vulnerable to climate change, facing hurricanes, sea-level rise, coral reef degradation, and other extreme weather events. We face similar challenges: Europe is also experiencing more frequent heatwaves, more forest fires, and growing biodiversity loss.

EU support focuses mainly on adaptation, renewable energy, and disaster preparedness, especially for Small Islands Developing States. At COP31 Climate Conference, we jointly underlined  the urgency of accelerating global efforts. Our cooperation also includes the Copernicus Programme, which provides satellite-based early warning systems and disaster preparedness support. The EU also mobilised USD 7.2 million in emergency aid after Hurricane Melissa and has contributed over USD 445 million to the Loss and Damage Fund to support climate-vulnerable countries, including those in the Caribbean.

Safer together: We cooperate closely with the Caribbean on security and the fight against organised crime. This partnership is critical for the EU, and especially for its outermost regions and overseas countries and territories in the Caribbean, which share maritime borders with Caribbean nations. 

Almost all Caribbean countries have joined the EU–LAC Alliance on Citizen Security, launched on the margins of the EU–CELAC Summit in November 2025. The EU is also implementing several regional programmes, such as El PAcCTO and COPOLAD, as well as bilateral initiatives to combat organised crime, facilitate police cooperation and strengthen judicial cooperation.

The EU supports initiatives on critical security issues such as cybersecurity, money laundering, illicit financial flows and, in particular, trafficking networks operating across the Atlantic. We also want to strengthen cooperation on the security of transport infrastructure, including ports and airports, and to promote timely information exchange and greater interoperability. 

There is a special focus on countering maritime drug trafficking and strengthening port resilience. We also support regional fora such as CLASI and AMERIPOL, including their strengthening and the expansion of their membership across Latin America and to the Caribbean countries. 

A regional approach : Through Global Gateway initiatives, the EU is investing across the Caribbean in wind, geothermal and marine energy, and in green hydrogen technology, to boost of renewable energy production and reduce reliance on fuel imports. We also support transformational regional initiatives on connectivity, whether in energy, digital or maritime. These are shared and equal priorities for the Caribbean and the EU alike.

The EU is also supporting ocean conservation efforts and exploring how European technology can turn sargassum seaweed, an ecological and economic threat, into revenue-generating products, protecting tourism and local industries.

Finally, the EU is one of the Caribbean’s largest trading partners. Since 2008, the CARIFORUM–EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) has provided duty-free and quota-free access to the EU market for Caribbean products. The EU also promotes fair trade, sustainable agriculture and blue economy initiatives.

European Union, 2026

Recent High-Level Engagement

Fourth EU-CELAC Summit:

The EU–CELAC Summit, held in Santa Marta, Colombia, on 9–10 November 2025, produced several key deliverables.

The EU and 20 Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries signed the EU–LAC Alliance for Citizen Security. It is a framework to combat transnational organised crime, drug trafficking, corruption and violence, while strengthening the rule of law and judicial systems. Seven Caribbean countries are among the signatories: Barbados, Belize, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.

The EU and 16 LAC countries also signed the EU–LAC Pact on Care, an open, values-based forum for permanent dialogue aimed at strengthening care systems. Its five Caribbean signatories are Barbados, Belize, the Dominican Republic, Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago.

Leaders adopted a Joint Declaration in which they committed to renewing the bi-regional relationship on the basis of shared values and interests.

In September 2026, the CELAC–EU Roadmap was endorsed in New York, translating these commitments into joint actions.

The next EU–CELAC Summit is scheduled to take place in Brussels in 2027.

Specific focus on the Caribbean: 

In parallel, the EU has held dedicated high-level meetings with Caribbean leaders: EU–Caribbean Leaders’ Meetings took place in Brussels in 2023 and in Santa Marta, Colombia, in 2025.

President von der Leyen’s first visit to the region, for the CARICOM Summit in Barbados in February 2025, was an opportunity to reaffirm the value Europe places on its partnership with the Caribbean. She met the leaders of the 15 CARICOM member states and launched several Global Gateway projects on renewable energy, digital transformation and pharmaceutical production.

 Key Milestones

European Union, 2026