Since 1975, Jamaica, as a signatory to ACP-EC Lomé Conventions and the ACP-EU Cotonou Partnership Agreement (CPA), has been the recipient of approximately €1.2 billion from the EU via the European Development Fund (EDF) and the general budget of the EU. The support provided by the EU has mainly taken the form of grants, with the resources being utilised to fund programmes in education, agriculture and rural development, public financial management and private sector enhancement. A significant proportion of the assistance received has been allocated to budget support. A special signing ceremony was held at Jamaica House on 17th November 2015 to mark the EU's disbursement of $1 billion toward the Debt Reduction and Growth Enhancement Programme (DRGEP) and $1.3 billion for the Accompanying Measures for Sugar (AMS).
The EU's support to Jamaica under the EDF is channelled through the National Indicative Programme (NIP), which is an executive plan of action and management tool for the implementation of the EU's country assistance programme, as outlined in its Country Strategy Paper for Jamaica. Jamaica's Medium Term Socio-economic Policy Framework (MTF) 2012-2015 helped to form the basis of the assistance provided to Jamaica under the NIP. There are currently seventeen (17) on-going projects that total €257.63 million.
In September 2014, the NIP under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) was co-signed by the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica and the European Union (EU) Commissioner for Development. The signing took place in the margins of the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States in Samoa. Jamaica is expected to receive €46 million, which has been prioritised for projects in the following areas: Justice (€23.0 millions); Environment and Climate Change (€15.25 million); Public Financial Management (€3.65 million); Support to Civil Society (€2.30 million); and, Support Measures (€1.80 million). This amount represents a significant reduction (more than 50%) over the amount received under the 10th EDF period (184.96 million Euros).
Jamaica also benefits from the EU's allocation under the Caribbean Regional Indicative Programme (CRIP) and the Intra-ACP programme. In terms of the CRIP, the 11th EDF CRIP was signed on 11th June 2015 in the margins of the CARIFORUM-EU High Level Meeting in Brussels. Currently, the allocation to the 11th EDF CRIP is €346 million, which represents a €4 million reduction from the initial figure of €350 million. Programming under the 11th EDF CRIP has commenced.
Jamaica also received direct funding from the EU's budget through annual Parliamentary allocations for the 2006-2013 Accompanying Measures for Sugar (€147 million), the 1999-2008 Special Framework of Assistance to Bananas (€42.63 million) and the Banana Accompanying Measures (€4.73 million).
Apart from EDF funding, other instruments of EU co-operation in Jamaica have contributed significantly to Jamaica's development. Notably there have been projects funded by the European Investment Bank (EIB), STABEX, SYSMIN and Budget-line funding from the Budget of the European Commission, with a special focus on the Banana Support Programme.
In respect of trade, the EU has been one of the principal markets for goods from Jamaica since 1975.