With an agri-food trade value of €255 billion in 2017, the EU confirms for yet another year its position as largest global exporter and importer of agri-food products. EU exports of agri-food products reached €138 billion in 2017, representing an annual increase of 5.1%. With imports at a value of €117 billion, the EU has a net trade surplus of €21 billion in its agri-food trade, according to the 2017 annual agri-food trade report published today.

Ahead of negotiations for a renewed partnership between the EU and the 78 Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) group of states, which are to start in August 2018, MEPs will discuss priorities for a future partnership agreement, such as migration, political dialogue, human rights and governance, in a debate on 13 June, and vote on them on 14 June.

Seychelles got the attention of the leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) industrial nations today when President Danny Faure addressed them on the islands' innovative financing for the blue economy and ocean sustainability. This year's G7 chair Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada had invited President Faure and the leaders of 10 other island and developing countries to join France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States at a special session on 'healthy, productive and resilient oceans and seas, coasts and communities'.

PwC’s return to St Lucia is a sign of the significant potential for growth in the Eastern Caribbean. Speaking at a cocktail event to announce the official re-opening of its St Lucia office, Frazer Lindsay, CEO, PwC in the Caribbean, said “We are very excited to be re-opening our doors in St Lucia. Being here, in my view, is about creating and implementing a sustainable strategy that can help our clients to grow their business, not only in the Eastern Caribbean but regionally.”

Despite ambitious goals, France is struggling to get its development aid to the poorest countries as well as for gender-equality programmes, according to an assessment by the OECD. EURACTIV.fr reports. The OECD has examined French development aid. In a summary of its report, which will be available in September, the OECD’s development aid committee (CAD) highlights a number of successes but also points to weaknesses in France’s cooperation policy for the period 2013-2018.