CARIFORUM countries (member states of the Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean and Pacific states) have committed to further refining the roadmap on Caribbean Regional Integration and Cooperation for submission to the European Commission by September/October 2009.
A press release from the CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, said that this version will clearly identify various implementing mechanisms, including funding through regional institutions and national programmes.
And in this context, the release stated, it was agreed that those projects flowing from the roadmap, and which are ready, could be considered for European Development Fund (EDF) funding in 2010. In addition, the necessary steps will be immediately taken to ensure that institutions are eligible for EDF funding.
Both sides agreed to the establishment of a Trust Fund for Infrastructure in partnership with the European Investment Bank, the most pressing issue being agreement on the proposed governance structure.
Both sides agreed also to the importance of enhancing cooperation between the CARIFORUM states, OCTs and DOMs in the Caribbean region. They also agreed to pursue discussions to identify cooperation possibilities in the areas of civil protection/disaster preparedness and mitigation, building on existing initiatives and in order to avoid duplication.
Assessing
opportunities
To this end, the release noted, a study will be rapidly launched to assess opportunities.
The two sides committed to these agreements when CARIFORUM and regional organisations and non-state actors met with representatives of the European Commission (EC), EU member states and the European Investment Bank last Saturday in Antigua and Barbuda.
The dialogue was co-chaired by Senator Charlotte Tessa Mangal, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Consumer Affairs, Saint Lucia and Stefano Manservisi, Director-General for Development, European Commission, the release said.
Meanwhile, enhancing the political dialogue, both at national and regional levels between Europe and the Caribbean, is a cornerstone of relations between the two regions.
In this context, work on a joint strategy for EU-Caribbean relations could start in the run up to the EU-LAC and EU-CARIFORUM summits scheduled to be held in May 2010 in Spain.
The central purpose of the meeting was to discuss the roadmap on regional integration and cooperation which sets out the region’s priorities, resource requirements and implementation mechanisms, including the use of resources of the 10th European Development Fund.
Adverse impacts
In the course of their exchanges on commodities, the CARIFORUM member states drew the EC’s attention to the adverse impacts likely to result from some of the proposals currently being considered by EC negotiators.
In particular, the banana tariff reduction schedule under consideration to be offered to the Central and Latin American banana producers will involve more significant losses for the CARIFORUM countries than the EC seems to have anticipated. However, they agreed to continue discussion on this matter, the release noted.
In regard to rum, the EC undertook to assess all legal possibilities for further extension of the Rum Programme with a view to allowing utilisation of all unused resources of the programme.
Moreover, both sides underscored that regional integration and cooperation are pivotal to the development needs of the Caribbean countries and of particular relevance in the context of the region’s integration into the global economy.
They added that a critical aspect of this is through the implementation of the CARIFORUM-EC Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
They also emphasised the importance of cooperation and integration in the region’s efforts to confront global challenges, including those of climate change and the economic and financial crisis.
In this context, the two parties agreed that the roadmap on Caribbean Regional Integration and Cooperation provides a holistic framework aimed at ensuring coherence and ownership by CARIFORUM member states of the region’s concrete actions for regional integration, identified needs, priorities and timelines.
A dynamic tool
The roadmap also serves as a tool for aid effectiveness and donor coordination, providing a mechanism for identification of areas of support by the various international development partners.
The release said further that the roadmap is conceived as a dynamic tool, where each component will be further elaborated depending on the progress of regional integration and political will.
Discussions were also held between the European Com-mission and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the commission expressed support for the OECS eight-point strategy for attenuating the financial crisis being coordinated by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB).
In this regard, the EC agreed to facilitate the release of existing budget support to the eligible OECS countries; consider possibilities for additional funding from instruments such as the Vulner- ability Flex mechanism for which the OECS will submit a request; and support the OECS efforts under the Caribbean Regional Indica-tive Programme.
