The five Caribbean states that run Citizenship‑by‑Investment (CBI) schemes—Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia—issued a joint statement after a summit in Roseau, Dominica on 10 July. The declaration outlines a coordinated diplomatic approach to the European Union’s request that investor‑citizenship programmes be phased out, while emphasizing the economic importance of CBI to the region.
Unified regional approach
- The leaders agreed to present a single Caribbean position in talks with the EU.
- A high‑level delegation will travel to Brussels to meet senior EU officials, including the Presidents of the European Commission and the European Council and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
- Outreach will also target other European capitals, with foreign ministers, ambassadors and CBI‑program officials instructed to coordinate their engagement.
Economic role of CBI programmes
CBI revenues are described as a core source of national development funding, supporting:
- Climate‑resilience projects
- Disaster‑recovery efforts
- Public‑infrastructure construction
- Fiscal stability and reduced reliance on external borrowing
The statement calls for any future EU‑Caribbean agreement to include “credible alternatives” such as enhanced development cooperation, strategic investment partnerships, climate financing and economic‑diversification initiatives.
Negotiation stance and timeline
- The communiqué does not reference the EU‑reported June 2028 deadline for ending CBI programmes, nor does it mention the Schengen Area or interim compliance measures.
- Language remains diplomatic, emphasizing partnership, proportionality, shared responsibility and sustainable development.
- The EU’s next Visa Suspension Mechanism report is scheduled for December 2026, indicating that negotiations are expected to continue for several years.
Recent reforms to the programmes
Over the past two years the participating jurisdictions have introduced:
- Stricter due‑diligence standards
- Greater information‑sharing mechanisms
- Enhanced transparency measures
- A regional regulatory framework aimed at harmonising oversight across the five CBI programmes
These reforms were implemented before the current EU negotiations began and are presented as evidence of the region’s commitment to internationally credible investment‑migration frameworks.
Implications for investors
- Existing CBI programmes remain operational; no immediate policy change has been announced.
- Investors should anticipate a prolonged negotiation period and factor potential regulatory or geopolitical shifts into long‑term mobility planning.
- The unified Caribbean response suggests that any future EU‑driven transition will seek to balance Europe’s policy objectives with the fiscal realities of small island economies.
Source article: www.artoncapital.com
