EPA Review Annex Documents - DFID

Due to the lack of an earlier infrastructure to coordinate trade negotiations between
CARICOM countries and the DR, at the beginning of the process there was a steep
learning curve. In this part of the process the CRNM played an important role to reduce
the friction that this new process generated to both parties, CARICOM and the DR.
The following sections concentrate on the process of the EPA negotiations during the
last two years, 2006 and 2007, emphasising on the resources utilised, the structure
established by the DR to follow these negotiations, concluding with an assessment of
the outcome from a DR perspective.
2. Importance of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery
(CRNM) in the outcome of the negotiations
Despite the fact that the DR had worked with CARICOM through the CRNM in
coordinating positions, both at the WTO forum as well as in the FTAA, 117 these
processes did not match the amount of interaction required under the EPA negotiations.
The DR did not have any precedence in articulating a “regional” position, as required by
the EU, both at the beginning of the negotiations, but most importantly during the course
of elaborating a “single regional” market access offer in goods.
From this perspective, the CRNM played a key role in channelling the DR concerns and
positions to other CARIFORUM member states. The professionalism of the CRNM staff
and its leadership, the transparency and commitment to obtain the best possible
negotiation for the region, played a key role in the outcome of the CARIFORUM-EU
EPA.
One important responsibility for CRNM was logistics, where the CRNM coordinated the
meetings, facilitating venues, and financing delegates from every country, in particular to
the Technical Working Groups. The second element was its expertise. Although the
College was responsible for the actual negotiations, and they were appointed by the
Council of Trade Ministers, the CRNM professional staff, and consultants, served as the
back bone for assisting the College in articulating the different regional positions. The
CRNM played the secretary role in regards to the EPA, both technically and logistically.
Another important element was the transparency of the process, documents were
circulated with time prior regional discussions and the outcome of these meetings, as
well as the results of the actual negotiations with the EU, were reported in a swift
manner to all CARIFORUM states. In addition, the actual negotiating session were open
to the countries officials that wanted to participate, not in a room “next door”, but in the
row behind the College team.
These elements fostered trust among Dominican officials, who at the beginning of the
process were apprehensive in negotiating the EPA indirectly through a College of
Negotiators.
117 FTAA: Free Trade Area of the Americas
155