Launch of Caribbean-EU Negotiations Imminent

CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – The Sixteenth Meeting of the Caricom Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) was held in Belize City, Belize, during the first week of March.
Several key decisions were made regarding external trade matters, including on issues related to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), respectively.
Concerning Africa Caribbean Pacific-European Union (ACP-EU) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations, COTED affirmed that a regional EPA must make a meaningful contribution to development. COTED also noted that the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM) planned to accelerate the region’s technical preparations for EPA negotiations. A series of technical consultations are scheduled to be convened, including a meeting of trade and development experts in June this year. A number of technical studies in this field will also be undertaken. These technical preparations will culminate in recommendations to COTED, which will provide guidance for further action.
The meeting took note of preparations underway for the launch of Caribbean-EU EPA negotiations, scheduled to take place in Jamaica, April 16, 2004. It is expected that the EU team at the launch will be led by the Commissioners for Trade and Development, Pascal Lamy and Poul Neilson, respectively, while the Caribbean team of Ministers will be spearheaded by the region’s Lead Ministerial Spokesperson on EPAs, Dame Billie Miller, the Barbados’ Senior Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.
A CARIFORUM–EU EPA launch follows the initiation of regional negotiations, with the EU, involving Central Africa, West Africa and the Eastern and Southern Africa regions on October 4 and 6, 2003 and February 7, 2004, respectively. The Southern Africa region is scheduled to launch their negotiations sometime in March of this year, with the Pacific due in September 2004.
As preparations continue for the April 16 launch, it is anticipated that this activity will comprise two sessions. There will be a public session with formal speeches from both the EU and the Caribbean. This will be followed by the first working session, at Ministerial level, with a possible focus on the modalities, passing and structure of the negotiations.
For More Information Contact:
Nand C. Bardouille
Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery
3rd Floor, The Mutual Building, Hastings Main Road, Hastings, Christ Church, Barbados
Tel: (246) 430-1678
FAX: (246) 228-9528