Excerpt from curacaochronicle.com
ORANJESTAD – The European Union has nearly doubled its financial support for Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs), including Curaçao and Aruba, increasing funding from €500 million to €999 million.
The announcement was made during the OCT-EU Forum currently taking place in Aruba, where European and Caribbean leaders are meeting to strengthen cooperation.
According to European Commissioner Jozef Síkela, the increase reflects a shift in approach. The partnership is no longer viewed as development aid, but as a strategic investment aimed at strengthening the resilience and long-term future of the territories.
The funding boost is being described as one of the most significant outcomes of the forum, which has also seen the launch of several initiatives focused on sustainability, biodiversity, disaster management, and economic development.
Mike Eman emphasized that the forum is producing concrete results rather than just discussions, pointing to new programs that are already being set in motion.