Dominica’s prime minister, Roosevelt Skerrit, said the Eastern Caribbean delegation aims to meet EU leaders in Brussels before the end of September, although a specific date has not yet been set. The mission will bring the five CBI‑program states—Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts & Nevis and St Lucia—together with the European Commission, the European Council and the EU High Representative to discuss the “unique vulnerabilities and development realities” of small island developing states and to seek “practical and mutually‑beneficial solutions” to the EU’s concerns over citizenship‑by‑investment (CBI) schemes.
EU letter and phase‑out deadline
- Letter date: 25 June 2026, from EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner.
- Demand: Antigua & Barbuda must wind down its CBI programme by 1 June 2028.
- Transition: A 24‑month period is offered to complete the phase‑out.
- Status: Antigua published its response on 7 July 2026; the other four states have not yet released theirs.
Interim measures due in September
The EU letter also requires immediate actions this month:
- Full exclusion of applicants who are subject to EU restrictive measures.
- Reinforced vetting of all CBI applicants, regardless of nationality.
These steps are within the control of the Caribbean governments and must be implemented before the delegation’s Brussels meeting.
Regional regulatory response
- At the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank’s 113th Monetary Council meeting (10 July 2026), the Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority (ECCIRA) confirmed it remains on track for a September launch.
- ECCIRA’s headquarters will be in Grenada.
The EU’s upcoming report under the visa‑suspension mechanism—expected in December 2026—will incorporate the Caribbean states’ responses to the phase‑out request. That report, rather than the 2028 deadline, is the primary focus of the Brussels delegation.
Divergent regional reactions
- Dominica (Skerrit): Emphasises a “mutually respectful” dialogue and thanks the Commission for recognizing the economic importance of CBI programmes.
- St Lucia (Deputy PM Ernest Hilaire): Notes a shift in the Commission’s tone from “fix the programmes” to “end them.”
- Nevis (Premier Mark Brantley): Describes the EU as “hell‑bent on closing down these programmes.”
Sixth participant – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Although not yet operating a CBI scheme, Prime Minister Godwin Friday attended the Roseau meeting. The joint statement listed St Vincent separately, and the government has announced plans to launch its own CBI programme by 2026.
EU regulation underpinning the visa‑suspension threat
- Regulation (EU) 2025/2441 was published in the Official Journal on 10 December 2025 and entered into force 20 days later.
- The regulation designates the operation of an investor‑citizenship programme as an independent ground for suspending visa‑free Schengen access, irrespective of how well the programme is administered.
Both the September interim measures and the establishment of ECCIRA fall within the Caribbean states’ own authority. The upcoming Brussels meeting will determine how, if at all, the EU’s broader regulatory framework will affect the future of Caribbean CBI programmes.
Source article: www.imidaily.com
