Call to reassess CARIFORUM EU Economic Partnership

The head of a regional civil society organisation is questioning the efficacy of the Economic Partnership Agreement or EPA and its contribution to participating states, particularly those in CARIFORUM.

Richard Jones, officer in charge of the Caribbean Policy Development Centre (CPDC) wants a deeper analysis of the 14-year agreement which promised the development of CARIFORUM states, by eradicating poverty and facilitating their transition into the global economy.

Speaking at a recent four-day CARIFORUM EU Economic Partnership Agreement Consultative Committee meeting at the Hilton Resort Barbados, Jones cautioned that the Ukraine war is a reminder that no country is isolated from the impact of global events.

“While the foundation has been laid in these legally binding documents, the question is how effective the EPA has been in furthering its objectives. Serious critical assessment is needed to determine if the original objectives have been achieved as we find ourselves in the throes of socio-economic-climatic battles,” he said.

Jones added: “We are clearly not immune to the adverse effects of events such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the COVID 19 pandemic. We, therefore, need to ensure that we insulate ourselves from economic destruction by encouraging more growth through responsible trade with our international partners and within the region.”

The consultation meeting fell under the 11th European Development Fund Project Enhancing CARIFORUM’s Civil Society Capacity to participate in National and Regional Programming and Policymaking.

The two-year initiative is funded by the European Union and intends to build the capacity of the regional civil society body to assist it in its mandate to monitor the implementation of the Agreement.

On 15th October 2008, the CARIFORUM States and the European Union and its Member States signed a comprehensive and reciprocal trade agreement termed the CARIFORUM- EU Economic Partnership Agreement (hereinafter referred to as CEPA).

This Agreement reduces the barriers in the trade of goods and services, as well as provides enhanced opportunities for investment flows between the two regions.

The CEPA goes beyond the traditional scope of trade agreements by stressing the role Sustainable Development must play in expanding trade relations. Moreover, the Agreement includes provisions for the continuous monitoring of the Agreement’s operation ‘to ensure that the objectives of the Agreement are realized’ and it does not become another unfilled pledge to the region’s development.

Given the significance of monitoring and evaluation in the effective implementation of the CEPA, the CARIFORUM-EU Consultative Committee was tasked with this sole responsibility. For this reason, the Caribbean Policy Development Centre (CPDC) in partnership with the CARIFORUM Directorate, The European Social and Economic Committee of the European Commission and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), coordinated the Regional Meeting of the CARIFORUM EPA Consultative Committee. Thirteen members of the CARIFORUM EPA Consultative Committee participated and in attendance was the  the newly appointed Director General of the CARIFORUM Directorate of CARICOM, Mrs. Alexis Downes-Amsterdam, with a resolve and determination to move regional development further.

Subsequent to the regional meeting, the ere was a Joint Consultative Committee Meeting which distilled issues of market access in the context of factors such as institutional frameworks, COVID 19 pandemic and the impact of the Russian invasion on Ukraine.

This meeting culminated in the acceptance of a Joint Statement which affirmed the parties’ commitment to the agreement by highlighting areas for improvement. This statement would be present to the Joint Council and the Trade and Development Committee.

During the period 5-6 May 2022, the CARIFORUM Directorate (CARICOM Secretariat), CPDC and GIZ hosted a workshop. This workshop supported the new committee members enhancing their knowledge on their roles and responsibilities in the monitoring of the socio- economic and environmental aspects of the CEPA. This included:

• Reviewing the maintenance of the 100% duty- and quota-free access for all goods coming from the Cariforum states,

• Observing the permanent protection of select products and services vulnerable to competition

• Ensuring the provisions related to copyright holders receiving adequate compensation for their work are upheld.

The workshop also facilitated the strengthening of the institutional capacity of the Consultative Committee to support the effective monitoring of the CEPA and by the end of the Workshop, the CARIFORUM Members of the Consultative Committee successfully identified concrete actions to advance their work and deepened relations amongst themselves.

CPDC has been recognised as an important social partner in the development of the region. (PR)