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View of Kralendijk, capital of Bonaire

Caribbean Netherlands

View of Kralendijk, capital of Bonaire
© Paulo | Adobe Stock

The islands of Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius, known collectively as the Caribbean Netherlands, are Dutch ‘special municipalities’. Together with the autonomous islands of Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten, they form the Caribbean territories of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Their population of around 29 000, is concentrated mainly in Bonaire. Tourism is the principal economic activity of the three islands, which are particularly popular with diving enthusiasts. The Bonaire services sector, the Sint Eustatius oil storage facility and the Saba faculty of medicine are also of great importance.

Examples of projects and initiatives supported by the EU

BEST 2.0+

The EU has also been focusing on local conservation initiatives, supporting, for example, via the BEST 2.0+ programme, the Reef Renewal Foundation on Bonaire, as well as a project to restore the beautiful coral reefs of Saba and Sint Eustatius, for instance. 

Erasmus+

A number of projects in the Caribbean Netherlands, such as the switch to English as a language of instruction and the related status of Dutch as a foreign language, have received a total of EUR 181 000 from the Erasmus+ programme. 

European citizenship

As an overseas EU territory, the Caribbean Netherlands qualifies for various types of funding. Furthermore, in addition to Dutch nationality, the residents of the three islands have European citizenship, entitling them to move and reside freely within the EU, with an automatic right to vote in European Parliament elections.

Lac Bay

Furthermore, the RESEMBID programme is providing the Bonaire National Parks Foundation (STINAPA) with EUR 797 000 in support for the restoration of coral reefs in Lac Bay. 

SMEs

EU funding is being made available to small and medium-sized companies in a bid to kick-start economic development there. 

Further information
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