The Delegation of the European Commission in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean will meet with government officials who administer EC-funded projects in Grenada on 6 November 2008 as part of a comprehensive Country Portfolio Review (CPR). The purpose of the meeting is to review on-going projects and programmes and will be opened to participation from the relevant ministries, agencies and project implementation units.
The Delegation will be represented by the Head of Delegation, Ambassador, Valeriano Diaz and other EC representatives.
The CPR will provide an opportunity to discuss with the National Authorising Officer, the Hon. Nazim Burke, who is also Minister of Finance, Planning, Economy and Energy and Foreign Trade and Co-operatives, and his staff, the challenges and opportunities arising from the joint management of Grenada’s EU project portfolio. The National Authorising Officer is formally government’s interlocutor with the European Commission. The main projects to be reviewed include the Post Emergency School Rehabilitation following the devastation caused by Hurricane Ivan in September 2004, the Southern Grenada Water Supply project, Private Sector Development project, Special Framework of Assistance to the banana industry projects which include the provision of off-farm irrigation structures and main lines, and the business skills and e-business incubator.
The EU is one of Grenada’s most significant grant aid donors. The EU has made available to Grenada a total of EUR 53.02 million under the National Indicative Programmes of the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th European Development Fund as well as STABEX and SFA related programmes. The project portfolio features agricultural and economic diversification initiatives including programmes for the development of an enabling environment for private sector development.
Under the 10th EDF Grenada has been allocated EUR 6 million (EC$21M), to contribute to human settlement as it relates to the country’s 2005-2015 Human Settlement Policy.