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EC earmarks additional Euro11 million to assist Caribbean
KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS): Head of the European Commission (EC)
Delegation in Jamaica, Carlo Pettinato has announced that Euro11million
has been earmarked for the “next cycle of cooperation” with Jamaica and
the wider Caribbean, beginning later this year.
Speaking at
the opening of a three-day Technical Assistance to the Caribbean
(TACARI) Regional European Union Market Access seminar on Monday,
Pettinato said the EC would specifically be exploring the possibility
of providing trade-related assistance, particularly within the context
of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
“So we are
beginning to think with the government and with the stakeholders, (and)
we will start (discussions) very soon, about what we can do with these
funds and to develop the capacity to benefit from all the opportunities
that are opening up,” he said.
The seminar is part of the
TACARI project, which aims to increase trade between Caribbean
Community member states and the EU, by promoting the EU market access
capacity of intermediary business organizations such as chambers of
commerce and industry, sector associations, and export promoters.
Pettinato
suggested that on completion of the seminar and a general overview
about how Caribbean states can export into the European market,
consideration could be given to staging sectoral workshops “looking at
aquaculture or food products in particular sectors, and look, in a very
practical way, how this (exports) can be done”.
The EC Head of
Delegation said the organization would also be lending support to the
process of regional integration, citing it as “something that we very
strongly support.” He said the EC would seek to assist Caribbean
territories in establishing a strong regional market, which he
contended would strengthen the region, thereby enabling it to be
competitive in the global market.
Pettinato disclosed that the
EC would also be seeking to assist Jamaica and other Caribbean states
to maximize on their exports to European markets, particularly by
negotiating on issues such as non-tariff barriers. This is in light of
the removal of tariffs on imports from the region by Europe as at
January 1 this year.
“The Caribbean region can (now) export to
the European Union completely quota free and duty free, except for
sugar and rice, which has a short transition period. Now, perhaps,
comes the most difficult part, which is what it is that we need (to do)
in order to export (more) into the biggest market in the world,” the EC
Delegation head stated.
He pointed to the lack of information
available to producers on available markets as well as the requisite
standards that they needed to comply with, but noted that “this
information barrier can be solved quite easily (through the
establishment of) the European export help desk, which, in my view, is
an excellent tool to overcome this.”
Pettinato said that the
EC would be offering assistance in the area of bureaucracy. “The EU is
discussing, for instance in Jamaica, with the government on how to
tackle red tape because it is not just a question of entering European
markets, (but also) how to exit the market from here. So we are
discussing (the possibility of) providing a very strong incentive to
(the) government to reform some of these procedures, simplify customs
procedures and licensing requirements, and (thereby) shorten the time
that is necessary,” he informed.
The seminar is being attended
by delegates from the region and Europe and is being jointly staged by
Jamaica Trade and Invest; the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry;
Suriname Trade and Industry Association; Employers’ Consultative
Association of Trinidad and Tobago; and the EG-aviescenntrum, a Dutch
information and consultancy agency on small and medium enterprises with
the EU.
The event is being sponsored by PROINVEST, an EU/African, Caribbean and Pacific partnership programme.
Source: CaribbeanNetNews
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