RELATIONS WITH THE EU
The European Union and Samoa
The Independent State of Samoa is a Melanesian Pacific island nation. The relationship between the European Union and Samoa is governed by the Partnership Agreement between the EU and the Organisation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (the Samoa Agreement). Samoa and the EU work together on a number of common values, interests and challenges, such as climate change, oceans and human rights, which they address in bilateral Political Dialogues, various ACP-EU policy dialogues, and at global multilateral levels.
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CopyrightGovernment of Samoa
The new Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to the Pacific, Her Excellency Barbara Plinkert presented her credentials to Mr Afioga Le Mamea Tuiletufuga Ropati Mualia, Member of the Council of Deputies in Apia, Samoa in October 2023.
Political Relations
Political relations between the European Union and the Independent State of Samoa
Samoa is a Polynesian Pacific island nation consisting of two main islands and a population of 205,000.
Samoa participates in policy dialogues within the ACP-EU institutions from senior officials to parliamentary and ministerial levels. The EU cooperates closely with Samoa to ensure our shared commitment to universal values and human rights principles are upheld at the international level.
The EU and Samoa hold High-Level Political Dialogues to address common interests and challenges, such as climate change, oceans, human rights, development cooperation, economic and trade cooperation.
Both are engaged in the Pacific region through the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and the Pacific Community (SPC). The Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) coordinates the ACP-EU policy dialogues.
The EU and Samoa apply a short-stay Visa Waiver Agreement, to encourage people-to-people contacts, boost tourism and invigorate business.
Trade and Economic Relations
Trade and Economic Relations Between the European Union and Samoa
Trade and Economic Relations Between the European Union and Samoa
Samoa is a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), categorised as Upper Middle-Income Country.
The economy is structured around tourism (17% of GDP), remittances (20% GDP) and development aid (grants 10% of GDP). Subsistence agriculture provides a livelihood for over 60% of the population and with agriculture (7% GDP) contributing 90% of the country’s exports.
Samoa’s main exports are fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates (28%). Main imports include mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation, bituminous substances and mineral waxes (19%). Samoan exports to the EU have increased by more than 38% over the last decade. Samoa’s main trade partners are New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, USA, and China.
In 2018, Samoa acceded to the interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the EU and the Pacific. The EPA gives all Samoan products duty-free, quota-free access to the EU market — the world’s largest single market. It helps the country to alleviate poverty and create jobs based on international values and principles, including sustainable development and human rights.
Development Cooperation
The European Union’s Development Cooperation with Samoa
Under the European Union's funding instrument for 2021 – 2027, Neighbourhood Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI), Samoa’s priority sector for support is Water Resilience and Climate Change Adaptation. This initiative is implemented through a sector budget support, with an allocation of EUR 13.5 million (TALA 41M).
The funding aligns with the vision of the Samoa’s ‘Water for Life: Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Sector Plan (WASH) 2020 – 2025’. The European Union support works towards more integrated, comprehensive and strategic Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) policy, addressing also climate change and disaster risks. Its ambition is to add more focus on inclusion and equity by improving the water quality and safe sanitation for people living in vulnerable situations, including those living in rural areas. The EU also focuses on policy elements that are highly relevant to climate change adaption such as watershed areas rehabilitated or reserved, water catchment areas with watershed management plans developed and implemented and the drainage upgrade works.
European Union
The sector budget support is complemented by a technical assistance supporting the formulation and cabinet approval of an effective National Drought Policy Framework of Samoa. The implementation of the policy will help to improve the preparedness, mitigation and response of the country to drought risks and impacts in Samoa.
Samoa also benefits from several regional programmes that fall under the following priority sectors: Climate Action and Environmental Sustainability, Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Development, and Fundamental Values and Human Development.