The President of French Polynesia, Moetai Brotherson, met with the Head of the European Commission Office for the Pacific Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs), Pierre-Henri Helleputte.
The President of French Polynesia, Moetai Brotherson, met with the Head of the European Commission Office for the Pacific Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs), Pierre-Henri Helleputte, on his first visit to French Polynesia since the installation of the new government.
This meeting provided an opportunity for the European Commission representative to review with the President the various partnership instruments between the European Union and French Polynesia, both ongoing and upcoming. They notably discussed, with satisfaction, the budget support program for sustainable water management, which aims to provide 3.7 billion F CFP over the period 2023–2027 to support the implementation of the country’s Water Policy. Two steering committees concerning the reform of the public finance management system and the sectoral water policy were held during the week, to allow for the first disbursement of 715 million F CFP by the end of the year.
Regarding regional cooperation, two new programs are currently being formulated/designed. One concerns the three Pacific OCTs (French Polynesia, New Caledonia, and Wallis and Futuna) and will focus on strengthening the sustainability of food systems, while the other will support intraregional cooperation projects with ACP or non-ACP Pacific countries.
French Polynesia is also eligible for so-called “horizontal” European programs, some of which are already well utilized (ERASMUS, BEST LIFE), while others remain more difficult to access (EU4Health, Horizon Europe).
The Commission representative also presented potential funding sources through the European Investment Bank (EIB) in the form of loans.
The President thanked the European Union for the financial and technical support it provides to the country’s public policies and highlighted the main current territorial projects, as well as regional concerns such as combating the adverse effects of climate change, lifestyle-related diseases, the digital divide, and the depletion of marine resources.
He also expressed his intention to bring French Polynesia even closer to Europe by appointing once again a correspondent for European affairs in Paris or Brussels, to allow better access to information and European funding.
