Association of the Overseas Countries and Territories of the European Union
Home > OCT-EU Partnership > Political dialogue EU-OCT-MS > Political dialogue EU-OCT-MS
Political dialogue EU-OCT-MS
The EU, OCTs and Member States have a shared interest in addressing jointly the challenges and opportunities raised by globalization and the need to support sustainable development and cooperation strategies, as underlined in the OCT-member States Joint Paper (2011). An increasing number of European policies affect the interests of the OCTs. Political and technical dialogue between EU policy makers and the OCTs contribute to the EU-OCT relationship.
Annual Forum
The OAD provides for a broad-based dialogue to enable the EU, all the OCTs and the Member States to which they are linked to consult each other on the principles, detailed procedures and results of the association. This dialogue takes, inter alias, the form of an OCT-EU forum for dialogue, referred to as Forum, which meet annually to bring together OCT authorities, representatives of the Member States and the European Commission.
Annual Forums take place in Brussels and in an OCT alternatively:
- The 15th OCT-EU Forum took place in Aruba in February 2017 - Political Declaration
- The 14th OCT-EU Forum took place in Brussels in February 2016 - Political Declaration
- The 13th OCT-EU Forum took place in the British Virgin Islands in February 2015 - Political Declaration
- The 12th OCT-EU Forum took place in Brussels in December 2013 - Political Declaration | All documents
- The 11st OCT-EU Forum took place in Greenland in September 2012 - Political Declaration | All documents
- The 10th OCT-EU Forum took place in Brussels in January 2012 - Political Declaration | All documents
- The 9th OCT-EU Forum took place in New Caledonia in March 2011 - Political Declaration | All documents
- The 8th OCT-EU Forum took place in Brussels in March 2010 - Political Declaration
- The 7th OCT-EU Forum took place in The Cayman Islands in November 2008 - Political Declaration
- The 6th OCT-EU Forum took place in Brussels in November 2007 - Political Declaration
- The 5th OCT-EU Forum took place in Greenland in September 2006 - Political Declaration
- The 4th OCT-EU Forum took place in Brussels in December 2005 - Political Declaration
- The 3rd OCT-EU Forum took place in French Polynesia in March 2005
- The 2nd OCT-EU Forum took place in Brussels in December 2003
- The 1st OCT-EU Forum took place in Bonaire in September 2002
Tripartite meetings
The Commission, the OCTs and the Member States to which they are linked hold trilateral consultations on a regular basis. These consultations are organised as a rule four times a year on the initiative of the Commission or at the request of the OCTs and of the Member States to which they are associated.
Partnership working parties
In agreement between the OCTs, the Member States to which they are linked and the European Commission, partnership working parties have been set up. The partnership working parties act in an advisory capacity and provide a framework for technical discussions on matters which are of specific concern to the OCTs and the Member States to which they are linked, complementing the work that is being done in the annual forum and / or in the Tripartite meetings.