ORANJESTAD – Aruba has received more than 7.2 million euros in subsidies from European Union programs between 2021 and 2024. The funding was distributed across roughly 65 projects, involving around 20 different organizations, according to a new report on the participation of Overseas Countries and Territories in EU subsidy programs.
A significant portion of the EU’s support for Aruba comes from the Erasmus+ education and youth program. Through Erasmus+, Aruba received over 1.1 million euros across nearly fifty projects. In addition, the European Solidarity Corps granted Aruba almost 1.15 million euros for volunteer initiatives and youth development projects.
One striking point is that Aruba—unlike many other islands—also benefited from major infrastructure funding. Through the Connecting Europe Facility, Aruba secured nearly 4 million euros for an infrastructure project. The island also received over 640,000 euros through the Digital Europe program and more than 430,000 euros from the Horizon Europe research program.
Compared to other countries and territories in the Caribbean region, Aruba ranks among the largest recipients of EU funding. Only Greenland and French Polynesia received more funds during the same period, largely due to large-scale projects in energy, infrastructure, and environmental sustainability.
Across all OCTs (Overseas Countries and Territories), the report shows a substantial increase in EU subsidies. Between 2021 and 2024, around 52 million euros were granted—compared to roughly 11 million euros in the previous period. Aruba holds a strong position, both for the amount of funding received and for the wide range of sectors supported: education, youth, digitalization, research, and infrastructure.
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