- Regional call for review of pact with EU
By RICKEY SINGH
(Bridgetown, Barbados)
SUPPORT has come from a wide cross-section of Caribbean opinion for the concern expressed by Guyanese head of state, President Bharrat Jagdeo, over the recently concluded negotiations between the European Union (EU) and the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) for an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).

In support of President Jagdeo’s position that the EPA was concluded against the backdrop of “threats of imposition of tariffs” on exports of sugar, bananas and manufactured goods to the European Community, representatives of regional non-governmental organisations and some leading economists and trade unionist are urging for “a full and public review” before the signing of the EPA.

In a statement by representatives of eight organisations and a number of leading academics of the University of the West Indies and Guyana, as well as professionals in various fields, the signatories welcomed “the candour with which President Jagdeo has now raised several issues that have so far been overlooked by either government leaders, officials and negotiators in the public discussion of the EPA to the extent warranted…”

The negotiations were completed last month under severe pressure from the EU for completion of at least the trade access provision of the EPA before the end of 2007.

However, the Caribbean managed to arrive to conclude a full EPA arrangement in time and a formal signing is scheduled for March 15 for the agreement to become provisionally effective from April 1 this year.

The signatories to the statement praising the stand of President Jagdeo and urging all Heads of Government to engage in a critical review of the concluded negotiations, have pointed out that once signed, the Caribbean Community countries and Dominican Republic that comprise the CARIFORUM group, “will be locked in for all times to the provisions of this legally binding instrument…”

The signatories, among them Professors Clive Thomas, Norman Girvan, Havelock Brewster, Karl Polany-Levitt and Woodville Marshall, has warned that unless the opportunity is provided for “a full and public review, it will be very difficult and, in all likelihood very costly, to amend the EPA after it comes into force…”

However, the negotiators of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM) that spearheaded the tedious and challenging negotiations with the EU’s representatives, are not persuaded that a review of the results obtained for the EPA could now take place ahead of the proposed signing arrangement.

On the other hand, there are concerns by some leading CARICOM officials and Foreign Affairs ministers that the EPA to be signed must be consistent with provisions of the revised CARICOM Treaty of Chaguaramas.

`The issue is to be considered at a special meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) late next month ahead of the scheduled 19th Inter-Sessional Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government in The Bahamas on March 7-8.