Tomorrow is D-Day…CARIFORUM leaders to submit response to draft communiqué

Oct 06, 2008 News

Guyana will be a little closer to knowing if it will be signing the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU) tomorrow, following a request by the CARICOM Secretariat to consider a draft communiqué.
Providing that consensus is arrived at, Guyana will sign the EPA on October 15.
Given the circumstances surrounding the deadline, CARIFORUM leaders were requested to arrive at a decision by tomorrow as to whether they would accept the draft communiqué issued by the CARICOM Secretariat.
If consensus is gained, the document will be dispatched to the European Commission.
The draft communiqué was prepared following discussions between the Government of Guyana and the EC, but this is subsequent to a previous communication from the Secretary-General of CARICOM to the then EC Commissioner for Trade, Peter Mandelson, advising, among other things, that the Government of Guyana is prepared to sign onto the ‘Trade in Goods’ section of the Agreement, thereby making it WTO-compatible.
Embedded in the draft communiqué is a statement that the European Community and its Member States and CARIFORUM acknowledge that its collective signature of the EPA signals the passage of an era in trade relations and development cooperation between the two trading blocs that is regarded as a model for relations between developed and developing countries.
“In so doing, we recognise the changing dynamics of the global economy as well as the continuing importance of our cooperation to the realisation of the development objectives of CARIFORUM States.
“As we affix our signatures to the Economic Partnership Agreement, we emphasise that it must be supportive of the development priorities of CARIFORUM States, not only in its structure and content, but also in the manner and spirit of its implementation….To that end, its implementation must pay due regard to the established integration processes in CARIFORUM, including the reinforcement of the aims and objectives of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy as outlined in the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.”
The main elements of the communiqué seek to define the role of the Treaty of Chaguaramas as it relates to the EPA, in that it will be agreed, that in the implementation of the EPA, wherever its provisions are in conflict or are not compatible with those of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, the latter shall prevail.
The communiqué, if it gains consensus, offers commitment to working closely within the institutions of the agreement to achieve aims and objectives, taking particular account of the different levels of development among our countries, in particular the needs of the small vulnerable economies, including those designated as less developed under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.
Another pertinent aspect of the communiqué on which consensus is being sought is that a review of the agreement must be undertaken not later than five years after the date of signature, and at subsequent five-yearly intervals.
This will be in order to determine the impact of the agreement, including the costs and consequences of implementation, and there will be a commitment to amend its provisions and/or applications as necessary.
President Bharrat Jagdeo has attempted to persuade CARIFORUM leaders to not sign on to the EPA in its present form.
Recently, during a special meeting held in Barbados by CARIFORUM leaders on the EPA, Guyana was left as the lone opposition in the region, with the President failing to garner any support on his position.
At that meeting, Jagdeo was pressing for the leaders to unite and pause to further scrutinize the services aspect of the deal. “Europe cannot bring sanctions if we collectively pause.”
Prior to the special meeting in Barbados, the Guyana Government held a public consultation where the decision to support President Jagdeo’s position was reinforced.

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