RELATIONS WITH THE EU
The European Union and Guyana
SAMOA AGREEMENT
In June 2024, Guyana signed on to the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) - European Union (EU) Partnership Agreement, known as the "Samoa Agreement". This landmark agreement succeeds the Cotonou Partnership Agreement, signed in 2000, and will govern relations among the signatories for the next twenty years. Negotiations concluded in December 2020, and the agreement entered into force provisionally in January 2024.
This new Agreement equips the Parties to better address emerging needs and global challenges, including climate change, inclusive and sustainable economic growth and development, migration, health, and peace and security.
Guyana's economy depends on commodity exports such as gold, diamonds and bauxite, sugar, rice, fish and other non-traditional agricultural products. The economy is vulnerable to fluctuations in both levels of sugar production and commodity prices. Environmental management is one of Guyana's key priorities. The impact of climate change is already being felt. Rising sea levels affect coastal areas where most of the economic activity takes place.
Our priorities
Guyana is an Amazonian country located in the northern part of South America. The country is firmly committed to further the green and fair transitions.
Guyana is one of the few countries worldwide with which the EU has signed both the Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) and the Forest Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). They were endorsed in 2022 in the margins of the UN climate conference, COP27 and the UN biodiversity conference, COP15.
The EU supports Guyana towards sustainable and inclusive development, in line with the “Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030” and the EU-LAC Global Gateway Investment Agenda. Our action builds on Guyana’s firm commitment to be a leading example in forest conservation and green transition.
The Joint Forest Partnership Team Europe Initiative in Guyana and in Suriname brings together the EU and its Members States with France as main partner.
The EU adopted a Programming Document for the period 2021-27 under the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI-Global Europe). Under that framework, the EU allocated €21 million funding to the partnerships with Guyana over 2021-24. Guyana also benefits from a number of multi-country EU programmes.
Our flagship initiatives
EU cooperation with Guyana focuses on climate and health:
- Climate – assisting Guyana in maintaining its low deforestation rate and implementing its climate commitments
- Legal timber trade: achieving FLEGT licensing, while creating value added in timber products and encouraging sustainable forest management practices
- Mangroves: supporting institutional coordination and the development of regulations for better protection and conservation
- Sustainable livelihoods: increasing local capacity and supporting territorial governance to foster the development of sustainable value chains and equitable income-generating activities
- Ecosystem services: promoting forest conservation via the development of payment for environmental services (incentives offered to farmers or landowners in exchange for managing their land to provide an ecological service)
- Renewable energy: expanding off-grid solar panels for the hinterland, diversifying the country’s energy mix and transition away from fossil fuels
- Health – accompanying Guyana’s development through economic diversification that strengthens health resilience
- Vaccines manufacturing : facilitating investments in infrastructure and the regulatory environment that will be necessary for the development of local manufacturing and secure supply chains. This is part of the EU-Latin America and Caribbean Partnership: manufacturing vaccines, medicines and health technologies and strengthening health systems and in line with the Pharmaceutical Equity for Global Public Health led by Guyana, Barbados and Rwanda
- Water management: building and upgrading water treatment plants and improving water systems to provide water for the people and the environment.
Our programmes
As a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Forum of the Caribbean Group of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (CARIFORUM), Guyana benefits from regional programmes funded under the Caribbean Regional Indicative Programmes.
Guyana is also a signatory of the EU-Caribbean Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), a comprehensive free trade agreement with a strong focus on development.