The PALOP and TL - EU co-operation is intended to strengthen the relationship between the Portuguese speaking African countries and East Timor and the EU Member States. It has been active since 1992, having been extended to East Timor in 2007.
It is based on historical and cultural affinities between these countries, and the Heads of State have solemnly reiterated their willingness to cooperate with each other on the basis of the official language and the common features which characterise the inherited governance system, justice systems and public finance management, as well as historical and post-independence political path.
The EDF (7th, 8th and 9th) financed two "Regional Programmes" (PIR PALOP I and II), which comprised the funding of 23 sectoral projects, with an approved amount of about €68 million, including "All ACP" Budget Line funds (€3.5 million) and co-financing of Portuguese Co-Operation (€2.6 million).
Following on from these co-operation programmes, in 2006 all partners reaffirmed their willingness to pursue this line of co-operation. The EU made a political commitment to support the PALOP and, from then on, also East Timor, through a co-operation framework focused on the field/area of democratic governance, the "PALOP/TL/EC Governance Initiative", in which two projects were identified:
- Project to Support Quality Improvement and Proximity to Public Services in PALOP and East Timor;
- Project to Support the Consolidation of the Rule of Law in PALOP and East Timor.
Portuguese Co-Operation (Camões I.P.) has played an active role in the implementation of the various projects included in the programmes that have been established, either through co-financing or by its management through Delegated Co-Operation.
A new programme (PALOP/TL Multiannual Programme) was established under the 11th EDF (2014-2020), with a financial provision of 30 M€, to be developed in two focal areas: Employment Creation and Governance Skills Development.