Tonga has been a member of the African Caribbean Pacific (ACP) group since 1975. Since 2006, the focus of EU's development cooperation was on the sustainable management of natural resources.

Political dialogue

The EU's political dialogue with Tonga focuses on:

• protecting its vulnerable environment, especially in relation to climate change
• defending human rights and gender issues.

 

The EU and Tonga are discussing how to collaborate more closely in multilateral fora on these and other issues.

 

Aid and cooperation

Under the Cotonou Agreement, Tonga benefits from European Development Fund (EDF), assistance of some €15m for 2008-13.

EU assistance has focused on:

• renewable energy (€7.08m)
• coping with the impact of the global financial and economic crisis, through the Vulnerability-FLEX mechanism (€5.5m).
• climate change assistance - financed under the framework of the Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA), including:

 

• building resilience to climate change  (with the University of South Pacific)
• promoting sustainable long-term adaptation strategies (with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community).

• disaster risk reduction - some €20m for the 15 ACP Pacific Islands under the 10th EDF ACP-EU Natural Disaster Facility.

 

The EU and Tonga, jointly with other Pacific island nations, are currently negotiating an Economic Partnership Agreement to cover areas such as fisheries, services and tourism.