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Joint
CARIFORUM-EU Press Release
CARIFORUM-EU LAUNCH CRUCIAL PHASE OF TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT
TALKS
The third
phase of
negotiations for an Economic Partnership
Agreement (EPA) between CARIFORUM countries and the European
Union was launched today in Saint Lucia.
CARIFORUM Trade Ministers and European Trade
Commissioner Peter Mandelson met on the occasion of the
Second
CARIFORUM-EC Ministerial EPA Meeting.
They
adopted the Joint Report on
negotiations
that took place in Phase II,
reviewed
progress in
EPA
negotiations so far, and provided political instructions on
the future orientation of those negotiations.
In
addition to discussing the EPA process, this
frank and constructive encounter provided an
opportunity for an exchange of views on the World Trade
Organization (WTO) Doha Development Round, and commodities
of key importance to the Region.
The EPA negotiations are poised to undergo a
qualitative shift in focus and specificity. Phase III will
define
the structure and scope of an EPA, and determine the
approach to trade liberalization, with the view to promoting
sustainable development in CARIFORUM.
Both sides noted the importance of deepened
regional integration to promote the international
competitiveness of private sector operators, improve the
business environment and boost trade and investment. They
agreed that development would be at the centre of an EPA.
The pursuit of development is a multi-dimensional
undertaking, that seeks to capture the benefits accruing
from trade and integration, but also requires accompanying
adjustment measures and institutional capacity building.
Technical and financial assistance is
important to facilitate the Region’s effective participation
in the EPA negotiations, and to support CARIFORUM regional
integration. CARIFORUM underscored that timely access to EU
resources is essential to maintaining the momentum of EPA
negotiations, and strengthening the regional integration
process. This was, therefore, the subject of considerable
debate at the Ministerial meeting, which called for
expeditious treatment of the relevant support measures.
There was an exchange of views on the status
of the WTO Doha Development Round. These negotiations are
of the utmost importance, as they seek to place development
at the centre of the multilateral trade agenda. Both sides
sought an acceleration of the preparations for the Sixth WTO
Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong, in December 2005.
Commodities of export interest to the
Caribbean, such as bananas and sugar, are facing acute
difficulties in preparing for radical changes in the EU
market. CARIFORUM Trade Ministers made a strong statement
that
preferential access to European markets
currently safeguards the livelihood and welfare of tens of
thousands of families in the Caribbean.
Given the vital importance of the banana
arbitration process in Geneva, the EU expressed a keen
interest in working with CARIFORUM banana supplying
countries to obtain a fair and lasting solution. On sugar,
the EU acknowledged the painful adjustment that will take
place both in the Caribbean and in Europe, as a result of
proposed EU sugar reform. The EU pledged to work closely
with CARIFORUM sugar producing countries, to assist them in
coping with adjustment.
The two sides also discussed vital trade and
aid issues relating to the CARIFORUM rum industry. They
acknowledged the challenges faced by the Region in this
regard, and identified practical ways to advance the
industry’s interests.
Both sides reaffirmed their decision to
convene the Third CARIFORUM-EC EPA Ministerial Meeting
before the end of 2006.
September 30,
2005
Gros Islet,
Saint Lucia
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