EPA Chief Negotiators’ Discussions A Success

CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – Chief Negotiators from the six Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) regions negotiating an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union met in London, October 4 to 5.
The objectives of the co-ordinating meeting were to take stock of and review ongoing negotiations in the respective regions engaged in EPA talks. It was also aimed at providing a strategic orientation of the respective regional negotiations.
Principal Negotiator for EPA Negotiations and Director General of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM) Ambassador Dr. Richard Bernal represented the CARIFORUM Region. He characterized the meeting as highly successful, and a unique opportunity for lead EPA negotiators to engage in frank and open discussions on the state of their respective region’s negotiations.
Ambassador Bernal described the encounter as “an important opportunity for counterpart lead negotiators to exchange experiences and information, but also to coordinate approaches to upcoming negotiations with the EC, on a range of issues.”
The meeting of Chief Negotiators recognized the need for interchange amongst themselves on a regular basis. They took a decision to strengthen the dialogue and information exchange at the level of Chief Negotiators and technical specialists. They agreed to meet as necessary, to continue the dialogue.
The meeting focused on: i) EPA and ACP regional integration processes; ii) market access issues; and, iii) the development dimension of an EPA. On regional integration, the negotiators compared progress made in their respective regions in strengthening these processes. In this context, the meeting discussed the content, structure, scope and strategy of an EPA for each region. On market access issues, the meeting reaffirmed that EPAs should increase market access for current and potential exports of ACP countries. There was a call for tariff liberalization to focus on phasing periods, and for allowance to be made for sensitive products. The view was also expressed that rules of origin must be development oriented. On the development dimension, it was reaffirmed that neither trade nor market access by themselves are sufficient to promote development. Countries suffering from capacity constraints and institutional inadequacies will not be able to make the best use of market access if the EPA does not address the ACP’s development needs.
While in London, the Chief Negotiators met with UK DFID Secretary of State for International Development Mr. Hilary Benn. They discussed problems experienced in synchronizing aid flows with the negotiating process. In this respect, difficulties in accessing resources across the ACP regions through the Regional Preparatory Task Force (RPTF) – established in order to cement the strategic link between EPA negotiations and development cooperation – were highlighted.
The Chief Negotiators meeting was made possible by the generous funding of the ACP EPA Project Management Unit (PMU). Headed by H.E. Lingston Cumberbatch, the Unit was established by the ACP Secretariat and the European Commission to fund capacity building in ACP countries in their preparation for and conduct of EPA negotiations.
Negotiations for EPAs with the EU involves the following regions: West Africa (Economic Community of West Africa ECOWAS + Mauritania); Central Africa (Communauté Economique et Monétaire de l’Afrique Centrale or CEMAC + São Tomé and Príncipe); Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA members); the Southern African Development Community (SADC: Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland and Tanzania + South Africa as an observer); Caribbean or CARIFORUM (these include the 14 ACP members of the Caribbean Community and the Dominican Republic); and, the Pacific.