The relations between the European Union and the Dominican Republic are framed in the Contonou Agreement, and agreement which seeks to promote democracy, respect for human rights, the eradication of poverty and the advantageous integration of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) in the global economy.

Along similar lines, the EU and the Dominican Republic redefined the strategic objectives of their bilateral relations in the National Indicative Programme 2014-2020, which is based on the following guidelines:

• to be allies on the world scene, jointly promoting global public welfare with particular focus on security and the environment;
• to promote regional integration;
• to facilitate the deeper integration of the Dominican Republic in the global economy, by expanding trade flows and investment agreements with the EU;
• to collaborate in the fight against poverty and exclusion;
• to work on their commitment to democracy, the rule of law and human Rights.

Regional Relations

The EU’s relations with Caribbean countries are complemented by the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement for trade and the Joint Caribbean-EU Partnership Strategy. The latter seeks to extend and improve political relations, traditionally based on development and cooperation, by providing greater political participation through five main lines of action:

• regional integration;
• reconstruction of Haiti;
• climate change and natural disasters;
• crime and security;
• joint action in multilateral forums.

Trade relations between the EU and the Dominican Republic have been consolidated in the last decade, partly due to the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement.

The EU is the Dominican Republic’s second most important trading partner, representing approximately 10 % of the country’s foreign trade for 2015. The following are some of the figures:

• In 2015, trade between the EU and the Dominican Republic reached EUR 2 459 billion, nearly double that of the previous decade;
• In 2015, the Dominican Republic exported goods to the EU amounting to EUR 834 million, 75 % more than in 2005. The Dominican Republic occupies 80th place in the EU’s trading partners;
• 62.4 % of exports to the EU are food products and 28.2% are manufactured products such as medicines and machinery;
• The EU exported goods worth EUR 1 626 billion to the Dominican Republic, mostly machinery and manufactured goods.

Through ECHO for the Caribbean, the European Commission has assigned more than EUR 17 million for 2016 and 2017 to respond to the effects of the drought that currently affects more than 6.2 million people in the Caribbean. In the Dominican Republic DIPECHO is developing the following projects:

• Preparation for the drought;
• Response to the drought.

Additionally, the DIPECHO 2015-2016 Action Plan for the Caribbean supports 14 projects (3 regional, 2 binational and 9 national) for risk reduction and disaster preparedness activities. In total, EUR 9.3 million have been allocated. In the Dominican Republic the projects within the framework of this plan are:

• Regional:
  • Caribbean Communities Organised and Prepared for Emergencies (CCOPE);
  • Application of the post-2015 DDR framework at local, national and regional levels in the Caribbean;
• Binational: Haiti-Dominican Republic
• Strengthening of the disaster risk management system, by promoting coordination and collaboration between the institutional and community stakeholders in the Southeast department of Haiti and the Enriquillo region of the Dominican Republic;
• National:
  • Disaster preparedness and reduction of earthquake and tsunami risk on the south coast;

Strengthening urban resilience through humanitarian protection, collective centres and communication in San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic.