JO - Has the Caribbean benefited from EPA with Europe after a year?

From my archive of press clippings:

Jamaica Observer

Has the Caribbean benefited from EPA with Europe after a year?

Ronald Sanders

Sunday, April 18, 2010

The European Commission (EC) will be holding a symposium on April 22 and 23 on the year-old Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the European Union (EU) and 15 Caribbean countries.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"There is, as yet, no indication that Caribbean governments or the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Secretariat will be holding a similar exercise.

It has to be assumed that each of the governments that signed the EPA has long established units both to implement its terms and to monitor its effects on individual economies."

"In defence of several Caribbean heads of government, it should be noted that they were reluctant to sign and many did so only after their crucial exports of bananas, sugar and some manufactured goods (from Trinidad and Tobago, for instance) were threatened by the EC with a higher tariff in the EU market.

But if the EPA is to be properly reviewed - and it should be subject to such a review on an annual basis - it is essential to monitor its implementation and to gather information that will inform an examination."

"(E)Ven though Caribbean countries and the EU are supposed to be 'partners' under the EPA, the EC has denounced the Sugar Protocol causing Caribbean countries to lose their preferential price for sugar; the EC has agreed a new trade regime for bananas with exports from non-African, Caribbean and Pacific countries that will decimate what is left of the banana industry in the Caribbean; and come June 20, the EC will renege on an undertaking to the Caribbean rum industry to help finance restructuring and marketing, while at the same time reducing tariffs on competing rum from several Latin American countries."

"Unfortunately, there has not been much evidence of consultation. The experience of sugar, rum and bananas indicates that the EC now takes the Caribbean for granted. After all, they already have a signed full EPA with the region, so why would they overly concern themselves about the Caribbean?"

&

"Undoubtedly, the global financial crisis - as well as the failures of regional financial institutions - has battered Caribbean governments. All Caricom countries have been preoccupied with saving their economies from shocks, including worsening terms of trade especially with the EU - even though Guyana had 3.3 per cent growth in 2009."

Responses and previous commentaries: www.sirronaldsanders.com
Sir Ronald Sanders is a consultant and former Caribbean diplomat.

JO - Caricom's conflicting signals

From my archive of press clippings:

Jamaica Observer

Caricom's conflicting signals

ANALYSIS

RICKY SINGH

Sunday, June 29, 2008

LATEST INDICATION of significant differences among member governments of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) has come from Guyana on the eve of this week's 29th Caricom Summit that gets underway on Tuesday (July 1) in St John's, Antigua.

RICKY SINGH

It was the disclosure last Wednesday in Georgetown by President Bharrat Jagdeo that, based on further information and legal advice obtained, the Guyana Government may not join Community partners in signing next month the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) that was initialled last December in Barbados between representatives of the European Commission (EU) and CARIFORUM (Caricom plus Dominican Republic).

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"Conflicting policies and attitudes towards advancing the process of free movement of Caricom nationals; differences over foreign policy issues as well as in approaches for attracting foreign investment and economic aid have also been causing concerns in more recent times among member governments and other stakeholders."

SN - Belize PM says CCJ is key element of Caricom governance process

From my archive of press clippings:

Stabroek News

Belize PM says CCJ is key element of Caricom governance process

By Stabroek staff March 16, 2009 in Local News

Prime Minister of Belize, Dean Barrow says that the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is a key element of the Caricom governance process and he argued too that there is no room now for second guessing the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), which has many aspects that are time-bound.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"Barrow who is also Chairman and Lead Head for Justice and Governance also raised the issue of the CCJ saying that “it represents a key element of the community’s governance process, but so far only two countries (Guyana and Barbados) use it as their final court of appeal in civil and criminal matters.”

He contended that, “the significance of our apparent unwillingness to replace the Privy Council with our own first class jurists is not lost on our populations. It can’t help but contribute to cynicism about the seriousness of our commitment to Caribbean identity.”

He noted also that in that matter Belize was a guilty party but commended the merit of the court as a critical lynchpin of the regional movement; and undertook “to propose shortly the constitutional amendment that would allow Belize to sign on to the appellate jurisdiction.” "

JO - SAGA OF DEAL WITH EUROPE

From my archive of press clippings:

Jamaica Observer

SAGA OF DEAL WITH EUROPE

ANALYSIS

RICKY SINGH

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Will there be a signing ceremony, either in Bridgetown or Brussels, by this or next month end, of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) concluded last December in Barbados, between representatives of the European Union (EU) and the CARIFORUM group of countries (Caricom plus Dominican Republic?)

RICKY SINGH

While the majority of Caricom governments (including Jamaica) have signalled readiness to sign on the EPA, reservations remain strong enough, as voiced by Guyana in particular, to have frustrated a "Declaration on the EPA" at the recently-concluded 29th heads of government conference.

Read the whole article here.

JG - Mendicancy revisited

From my archive of press clippings:

Jamaica Gleaner

Mendicancy revisited

published: Sunday July 13, 2008

Robert Buddan, Contributor

When Dr Kenneth Baugh, the deputy prime minister, made his administration's maiden speech at the United Nations on October 3, 2007, a month after coming to office, there was no difference evident between his administration's position and that of the previous administration's position on international trade negotiations. Dr Baugh said that the new government would continue to pursue the widely accepted principle of special and differential treatment for developing countries under the DOHA Round of WTO negotiations, and that the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) being negotiated with the European Union was inequitable and violated the principle of global partnership.

Read the whole article here.

JG - EPA - Another failure in the making

From my archive of press clippings:

Jamaica Gleaner

EPA - Another failure in the making

published: Sunday July 13, 2008

Edward Seaga, Contributor

It is quite amazing how serious conclusions on subjects of great importance can be reached without real analysis by people in Jamaica who are not devoid of learning or understanding. There is a general failure to ask all the critical questions which could answer all the critical problems. A glimpse of truth or a smattering of facts and these are sufficient to reach a conclusion.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"(W)e will open our markets to the remaining 50 per cent of European goods which now pay customs duties to enter the region, providing valuable earnings to boost the revenue.

On a graduated scale, the 50 per cent of European goods now paying customs duties will cease to do so over the next 25 years.

What is the compensation for this loss of earnings?

It is assumed that we must export more to Europe under the new arrangement for duty-free entry of goods from the region.

This is where the argument falls flat."

"The truth is that very few items of current production are competitively priced to be exportable, and this will continue to be the case since the region does not now possess, nor will it in the reasonably distant future, the ability to produce at low costs to match China."

"The only other avenue of increased earnings is the migration of Jamaicans to Europe, as is now occurring with other developing countries.

The remittances from migrants are the only way to help close the gap, otherwise the EPA is just another way of giving away much while receiving little."

JG - The burden of free trade -Reflective Caribbean delays sign-off on trade pact with Europe

From my archive of press clippings:

Jamaica Gleaner

The burden of free trade -Reflective Caribbean delays sign-off on trade pact with Europe

published: Sunday July 6, 2008

David Jessop

As this was being written Caribbean heads of government were meeting in Barbados. There, among the many other issues, they were considering the initialled but not yet signed economic partnership agreement (EPA) with Europe.

Read the whole article here.