RNM DG: ‘CARIFORUM Negotiating Structure/Schedule Endorsed’

KINGSTON, JAMAICA – CARIFORUM-European Union (EU) negotiations for an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) were officially launched in Kingston, Jamaica, April 16. The formal CARIFORUM EPA launch commencement proceedings were followed by the First Joint EPA Ministerial Negotiating Meeting, between the two sides, convened the same day.
Immediately preceding the April 16 events was a Special Meeting of the CARICOM Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) on External Economic Negotiations, also held in Kingston. In this regard, CARICOM countries’ and Dominican Republic Senior Officials convened a Meeting of Officials preparatory to the Special Meeting of COTED, April 14. The Special Meeting that took place the following day was at Ministerial level. Both forums provided an opportunity for further vetting and adoption of CARIFORUM’s positions on negotiating structures and the plan/schedule for EPA negotiations, respectively, ahead of the First Joint EPA Ministerial Negotiating session.
CARIFORUM Trade Ministers endorsed the proposal that negotiations for a CARIFORUM–EU EPA will take place at three tiers; namely, Ministerial, Principal Negotiator and subject-specific negotiators. CARIFORUM has appointed Senior Minister Dame Billie Miller of Barbados as its Lead Ministerial Spokesperson. A Ministerial Troika comprising representatives from the Dominican Republic, Saint Lucia and Belize will assist the Lead Ministerial Spokesperson in dispensing her duties. The Director-General of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM) has been appointed CARIFORUM Principal Negotiator. At the technical level, negotiations will be conducted by members of the EPA College of Negotiators. All elements of the negotiating structure shall be open to all CARIFORUM Member States. The European Commission (EC) will be represented by the Commissioner for Trade, at Ministerial level, and a Senior Official of Directorate General (DG) Trade at the level of Principal Negotiator. Preparations at technical level will be co-ordinated by DG Trade, with other DGs participating as appropriate.
Both parties will establish a Regional Preparatory Task Force (RPTF) in order to cement the strategic link between EPA negotiations and development co-operation. The creation of such a body is underpinned by the provisions of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement on the complementary of trade and economic co-operation and development support.
The CARIFORUM core membership of the RPTF will comprise representatives of regional and national authorising officers, regional secretariats, universities and institutions and Non-State Actors, and a CARIFORUM Member of the ACP Development Finance Committee. EC membership on the RPTF will include officials from DG Trade, DG Development, AIDCO and an EU Delegation based in the Caribbean.
As regards an indicative schedule of negotiations, there are four phases that will guide interchange between the two sides; namely: i) Initial Phase: Establishing the Priorities of EPA Negotiations (April 2004 to September 2004) – the objective of this phase is to establish an understanding of the fundamental concerns and interests of EPA negotiations for both CARIFORUM and the EC; ii) Second Phase: Convergence on strategic approach to CARIFORUM regional integration (September 2004 to September 2005) – the aim of EPA negotiations during this phase will be to establish a common understanding on the priorities for support of Caribbean regional integration, and the targets to be attained by the time of the commencement of implementation on January 1, 2008 and beyond; iii) Third Phase: Structuring and consolidating of EPA negotiations (September 2005 to December 2006) – the objective of this phase of negotiations is to consolidate the discussions and channel the points of common understanding into elements of a draft EPA; and, iv) Final Phase: Finalisation (January 2007 to December 2007) – negotiations during this final phase should concentrate on consolidating the results of the negotiations and completing the EPA negotiations by the end of 2007.
In remarks to members of the press, April 16, the RNM Director-General, Ambassador Dr. Richard Bernal, said he was pleased with the consensus that had emerged amongst CARIFORUM Member States regarding the negotiating structures and the plan/schedule for EPA negotiations. In reference to the Ministerial-level Special Meeting of COTED, April 15, he said “Member States have endorsed both the structures and the plan/schedule in regards to the region’s negotiation of an EPA with the EU”. Dr. Bernal welcomed the support for the College; he added, “the College of Negotiators, which will be tasked with spearheading the region’s negotiating efforts, has been agreed to – both at a conceptual and operational level”. Reflecting on the period of consultation amongst Member States leading up to consensus on the College and related negotiating architecture, the RNM head said, “the region’s Senior Officials and Trade Ministers must be credited for their commitment to and foresight in putting into place the most appropriate model for coordinating and providing technical oversight of very complex and multi-faceted issues to be negotiated”.