The Delegation of the European Commission in Jamaica was established in April 1976, after the signing of the first Lomé Convention, which established a framework of development assistance between the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries, of which Jamaica is a member.

The Delegation is principally responsible for the co-ordination and monitoring of these programmes of cooperation, and works closely with the agencies of Government to implement projects and strategies within the context of the established framework.

For the past 26 years, the EU has given unprecedented support to Jamaica’s agricultural sector.

This assistance continues to be invaluable as the sector grapples with the macro-economic issues of free trade, together with the imperatives of global competition.

In addition to preferential market access negotiated under successive Lomé Conventions since 1975 and the Cotonu Agreement signed in June 2000, which resulted in important trade liberalization, the EU has also been the major provider of grant funds and technical assistance for the sector’s development.

Its earlier supporting initiatives in this area include:

The sector continues to benefit from the provision of grant funds and technical assistance through other EU-funded initiatives:

The Eastern Jamaica Agricultural Support Project (EJASP)

The Eastern Jamaica Agricultural Support Project 2001-2004, which is aimed at poverty alleviation and seeks to increase the production of crops, which have a distinct competitive advantage in the domestic, tourism and export markets.
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The Banana Support Programme (BSP)

The Banana Support Programme, which has been implemented in phases since 1995, has provided assistance to farmers in the areas of research, harvesting, packaging, handling, storage and marketing of bananas, in addition to funding, with the objective of bringing the industry to a level where it will be able to compete on the soon-to-be liberalized world market.
In 1999, the EU established the Special Framework of Assistance for traditional ACP suppliers of bananas, with a 10-year implementation period.  Within this Framework of Assistance, the Government of Jamaica prepared the 1999 Banana Country Strategy, which was recently updated, particularly with reference to the approach taken to improve the competitiveness of the Banana Industry, and the introduction of alternative activities for those farmers who are unlikely to achieve competitiveness.
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The STABEX 2000 Transfer

The STABEX 2000 Transfer, which is currently being implemented, will facilitate the rehabilitation of parochial and farms access roads in Eastern Jamaica. Its primary objectives are:

Integrated Caribbean Agriculture and Fisheries Development Programme (CAFP)

Jamaica’s agricultural sector has benefited from the EU-funded Integrated Caribbean Agriculture and Fisheries Development Programme (CAFP), the main objective of which is to strengthen the economies of the CARIFORUM states (of which Jamaica is a member) by:

The All ACP/EU Programme

Jamaica has also benefited from the All African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP)/EU Programmes, notably:

• ACP/EU Strengthing Fishery Products and Health Conditions

This on-going programme, is financed under the Eighth EDF and opens possibilities in financing such activities, as:

The task of the PIP is to assist private companies in the ACP horticultural export trade to adjust production to conform to European requirements on pesticides and food health, thereby retaining their market share in Europe and improving integration into world trade.  The PIP is also helping to maintain socio-economic diversity in the ACP horiticultural trade (SME, small producers).  The COLEACP Association is the agency implementing the programme – "All ACP STATES" – during the next five years, which will be financed by the EDF.