Overseas Countries and Territories environmental profiles (main report, 2015)

This report contains environmental profiles for the 25 Overseas countries and territories (OCTs) associated with the European Union. These environmental profiles are set in a socio-economic developmental perspective so that the findings can be used to assist in programming projects in the framework of the EU 2014-2020 cooperation programming. The OCTs, the EU Member States to which they are linked and the European Commission hold an annual forum to discuss progress.

This report was prepared at the request of the European Commission, in collaboration with OCTA (the OCTs association). It was conducted primarily by means of desk research, drawing on data in the public domain - data collection visits were not made to the territories themselves. These public domain data were supplemented by a questionnaire sent to all the territories dealing with environmental and sustainable development issues, institutions, human resources, policies, budgets for the environment, and international cooperation. Feedback from the administrations of the OCTs, Member States, the Commission services and some nature conservation NGOs helped drafting these profiles. Considering that the whole work is based on desk studies, the profiles may be revised/updated with information that will become available through the on-going work.