President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen visited Barbados on 18-20th February. She addressed the 48th Regular Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government. She engaged with 15 Heads of Government, at a time when global instability makes strong partnerships more crucial than ever. Her presence marked the highest level of engagement by European Union leaders in the region, signalling a strong commitment to working closely with the Caribbean in a changing world.
While in Barbados she was interviewed by the Caribbean Media Corporation. Here is the interview
1- Welcome to the Caribbean. You are coming to hold discussions, whether bilateral or at the multilateral level with Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries. What specific message or messages will you be bringing and how soon could the region benefit from those discussions?
Thank you, I’m very happy to be in Bridgetown. I’ve crossed the Atlantic to express how much Europe values its partnership with the Caribbean. We live in an unpredictable world. In these times, it’s more important than ever to stick together, stand up for our shared values and deepen ties with trusted allies. And Europe and the Caribbean are such allies. Despite being an ocean apart, we are close at heart. We are strong and vibrant democracies. We have each other’s back. You openly support our brave neighbour Ukraine in its fight for freedom.
We are working to address the crisis in Haiti, supporting UN-led efforts and providing funding for stability and security. And we stand with you in the greatest challenge of our time: climate change. When devastating hurricanes sweep through your islands, like hurricane Beryl last July, Europe is by your side. We provide emergency help to those who have lost everything and new support immediately. And we support your efforts to become better prepared and more resilient to face such possible disasters in the future. Because this is what partners do.
I’m sure we will have good discussions at the CARICOM conference on how to reinforce this unique partnership that we have. During my visit, we will discuss how we can best support the clean energy and digital transition in the Caribbean with Global Gateway, Europe’s global investment and partnership strategy. And I’m already looking forward to the upcoming EU-CELAC Summit in Colombia later this year. It will be another landmark of this new era of closer cooperation between our regions.
2- You recently said that “Since the turn of the century, the volume of global trade has doubled – even if trade within regional blocs is now expanding faster than trade between them,” unquote. In that context how would you describe the impact of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) signed between Europe and the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) countries signed in Barbados in 2008? Has CARIFORUM and more specifically, CARICOM countries benefited in a way in which the EPA was first thought of?
Our Economic Partnership Agreement has clearly brought the EU and the Caribbean closer together. It has created many new opportunities for businesses on both sides of the Atlantic. Indeed, since its signing 16 years ago, trade between our regions has nearly doubled. To ensure businesses of all sizes in CARICOM countries benefit, the European Union has provided nearly 50 million euros in grants to help Caribbean small and medium-sized businesses access finance, gear up production capacity, gather market intelligence, and connect with European distributors.
This is helping Caribbean businesses tap into our European single market and attract more investment. Beyond trade, the Economic Partnership Agreement supports Caribbean countries in upgrading regulatory standards, becoming more innovative and establishing robust public procurement processes – so it makes you more competitive on the global stage!
3. St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, addressing the EU-CELAC Summit in Brussels in 2023, noted and I quote “It is a historical fact that Europe remade Latin America and the Caribbean, and in the process remade itself. Out of this cauldron of remaking, most of Europe was, and still is, overwhelmingly the lopsided beneficiary, in a relationship in which our Latin America and our Caribbean have been, and are, unequally yoked,” unquote. In your opinion does that scenario still exist and if not, what has changed?
Europe stands for fair, mutually beneficial partnerships—this is our hallmark. With great-power competition intensifying, I see growing global interest in working with us. In just the past two months, we’ve concluded negotiations on deals with Mercosur, and Mexico, paving the way for bringing 400 million Latin Americans into privileged partnerships with Europe. These deals took years to negotiate, but they’re happening now not just because Europe is a large market— but because we play by the rules. We’re not here to extract and export; we want to help local industries thrive. Because this is what a real partnership looks like.
Our Economic Partnership Agreement with the Caribbean is a good example of this. Thanks to this agreement, Caribbean countries enjoy duty-free, quota-free access to the EU market, while tariff reductions on their side are gradual and 2 protect vulnerable sectors. We listen to your concerns and your needs. Because we care about our partners.
Over the years, the EU has provided billions in development cooperation to support the Latin American and Caribbean regions. Through initiatives like the Global Gateway, we continue to strengthen partnerships, drive clean and digital transitions, and invest in local value chains.
4- Can you indicate how beneficial the Global Gateway Investment Agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean has been to the Caribbean?
There are many great Global Gateway projects in the Caribbean – and I’m here to launch new ones. Global Gateway already supports the clean energy transition across 13 Caribbean countries through project development and cooperation on clean technologies. We are also exploring the development of regional green bonds with the Caribbean Development Bank to help tackle climate change.
In Barbados and Grenada, we are turning the Sargassum algae threat into an opportunity—transforming it into fertilizer, biomass, and even cosmetics, with the potential to attract nearly EUR 400 million in investments.
And that’s not all. Over the next two days, I will launch two projects to boost innovation and investments in the pharmaceutical sector. It means vaccines and medication produced in the Caribbean, for the Caribbean. It’s good for better access to medicines for the people and good for the economy.
We are also bringing the Caribbean closer together, and closer to Europe, with digital connectivity. During my visit, we will sign an agreement to deliver high-speed internet to even the most remote communities, via satellite. And with Global Gateway, we already encourage policy dialogues on cybersecurity, AI, and e-governance between Europe and the Caribbean.
This is just the beginning. And I’m looking forward to so many more success stories between our regions.