BRUSSELS, CMC – Two Caribbean Community (CARICOM) nationals, including former Guyana president Bharrat Jagdeo, have been included in the 14-member Eminent Persons Group (EPG) whose mission will be to provide guidance and recommendations for the future of the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Grouping. Apart from 48-year-old Jagdeo, who served as President of Guyana from 1999 to 2011, the other CARICOM national on the EPG, is Jamaican-born Patricia Francis, the executive director of the International Trade Centre (ITC).
ACP Inter-Regional Organisations Coordination Committee
BRUSSELS, CMC – Chairman of the African Caribbean Pacific (ACP) Sugar Group, Ambassador P.I, Gomes, says while he welcomes the recent decision to continue the current beet sugar quota until 2020, the ruling would need to be supported by European Union when it considers the sugar regime.
Last week, the European Parliament voted in support of Comagri’s proposal for the continuation of the current beet sugar quota provisions until 30 September 2020.
The informal meeting of EU Development Ministers and the Informal ACP-EU Dialogue took place on 12-13 March 2007 in Petersberg near Bonn. The purpose of these meetings, which were chaired by German Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, was to discuss the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the European Union and the countries of Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific Region.
CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – Chief Negotiators from the six Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) regions negotiating an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union met in London, October 4 to 5.
The objectives of the co-ordinating meeting were to take stock of and review ongoing negotiations in the respective regions engaged in EPA talks. It was also aimed at providing a strategic orientation of the respective regional negotiations.
Principal Negotiator for EPA Negotiations and Director General of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM) Ambassador Dr.
CARIBBEAN CONCERNED OVER EC SUGAR REFORM PROPOSALS Steep Price Cuts to have Devastating Effect on Region’s Fragile Economies CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – The European Commission unveiled plans Wednesday (June 22) for an overhaul of the Common Market Organisation for sugar. The Commission reform proposals cut guaranteed prices, totalling 39 percent in the price of white sugar over a period of four years.
CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – The Sixteenth Meeting of the Caricom Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) was held in Belize City, Belize, during the first week of March.
Several key decisions were made regarding external trade matters, including on issues related to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), respectively.
Concerning Africa Caribbean Pacific-European Union (ACP-EU) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations, COTED affirmed that a regional EPA must make a meaningful contribution to development.
MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA – A meeting to prepare CARIFORUM member states for the Fifth World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference, September 10 to 14, in Cancun, Mexico, came to a close today. The meeting, entitled_ Caribbean Region Pre- Cancun Meeting, was held June 16 to 19; organized by the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM), in collaboration with the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Netherlands-based ACP-EU Technical Centre for Agriculture and Rural Co-operation (CTA).
CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – Developing countries continue to express their interest in the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM). Many developing countries that lack representation in Geneva and that face financial difficulties associated with individual country representation in negotiating meetings see the benefits of the RNM ‘model’. The RNM ‘model’ has also attracted the attention of the European Union (EU). EU Trade Commissioner, Pascal Lamy, indicated this when he met privately with Ambassador the Honorable Dr. Richard Bernal, O.J.
CHRIST CHURCH, BARBADOS – Hon. P.J. Patterson, Prime Minister of Jamaica, lauded the RNM for “the tremendous work being done” in relation to the Region’s participation in WTO, FTAA and ACP/EU negotiations. He was reporting to the Fourteenth Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, held from the 14th to 15th of February in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, in his capacity as Chairman of the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on External Negotiations.