RELATIONS WITH THE EU
The European Union and Solomon Islands
The Solomon Islands is a Melanesian Pacific island nation. The European Union and Solomon Islands relationship is governed by the Partnership Agreement between the EU and the Organisation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (the Samoa Agreement).
Solomon Islands 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, at various ACP-EU policy dialogues, as well as at global multilateral levels.
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CopyrightPicture Credit: Government of the Solomon Islands
On 31 October , the Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to the Pacific, Her Excellency Barbara Plinkert presented her credentials to the Governor-General of Solomon Islands, His Excellency Reverend David Tiva Kapu.
Political Relations
Political Relations between the EU and Solomon Islands
The Solomon Islands consists of six major islands and a population of 670,000.
Solomon Islands participates in policy dialogues within the ACP-EU institutions from senior officials to parliamentary and ministerial levels. The EU cooperates closely with Solomon Islands to ensure our shared commitment to universal values and human rights principles are upheld at the international level.
The EU and Solomon Islands hold High-Level Political Dialogues to address common interests and challenges, such as climate change, oceans, human rights, development cooperation, economic and trade cooperation. The last Political Dialogue took place in Brussels in November 2022.
The Solomon Islands and the EU are engaged in the Pacific region through the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and Pacific Community (SPC). The Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) coordinates the ACP-EU policy dialogues.
The EU and Solomon Islands 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 EU and Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), categorised as Lower Middle-Income Country and heavily dependent on foreign aid. It is scheduled to graduate from the Least Developed Countries (LDC) category in December 2024.
Solomon Islands’ top exports are rough wood (74%), processed fish products (11%), palm oil/other fats (6%), and aluminum ore (6%). Canned tuna exports to the EU are a success story. Its top imports are mineral fuels/oils (16%), rice (7%), fishing vessels (7%), and construction machinery (6%). The EU is the country’s second trade partner after China and before Australia. In 2020, Solomon Islands acceded to the interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the EU and the Pacific which it had signed in 2009. The EPA gives all Solomon Islands 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.
The first Fisheries Partnership Agreement (FPA) between the EU and Solomon Islands dates back to 2006. Currently, there is no active Protocol.
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In 2020, Solomon Islands acceded to the interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the EU and the Pacific which it had signed in 2009. The EPA gives all Solomon Islands products duty-free, quota-free access to the EU market — the world’s largest single market.
Copyright: Julius Sliver
Development Cooperation
The European Union's Development Cooperation with Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is the largest beneficiary of EU aid among the Pacific Island countries under the European Union's funding instrument for 2021-2027, Neighborhood Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI).
Currently, Solomon Islands' priority sector is Local Governance. This assistance is implemented through two main initiatives, ‘Solomon Islands Provincial Governance and Service Delivery’ and ‘Climate Resilience Financing Mechanism in the Solomon Islands (LoCAL)’, with a respective allocation of EUR 8 million and EUR 6 million. The funding – together with substantial investments on Urban Wash, Public Finance Management and Elections – aligns with Solomon Islands’ 'National Development Strategy (NDS) 2016-2035' which aims at creating economic and livelihood opportunities for rural populations (around 75% of the total population), diversifying sustainable productive sectors and promoting institutional and infrastructure development.
In the framework of the Post-Cotonou Agreement and in accordance with the recently signed Samoa Agreement, the EU in the Pacific is also focusing to tackle climate change (as the biggest threat of the region) and create the conditions for a sustainable and inclusive socio-economic recovery through Global Gateway and Team Europe Initiative.
In the framework of its partnership with the Pacific Islands Country and its efforts towards efficient public spending, the EU Delegation in Fiji implements a three-year Budget Support programme (EUR 8 million) aiming at strengthening national institutions for better service delivery and reducing poverty.
Solomon Islands also benefits from several regional programmes that fall under the following priority areas: Climate Action and Environmental Sustainability, Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Development, and Fundamental Values and Human Development.