Increasing Inter- and Intra-regional Economic Partnerships for Development
Driven by the principle that collective action enhances negotiating strength, the Commonwealth continues to co-operate with the ACP Secretariat and the European Commission with a view to enhancing the regional integration and development goals of the ACP-EU negotiation of EPAs. Intra-ACP dialogue is being promoted in Commonwealth-supported meetings.
Secretariat support to regional meetings
The Commonwealth Secretariat has supported regional meetings to discuss draft legal frameworks for their respective EPA negotitations.
Recently, in collaboration with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, the Secretariat serviced a Pacific ACP-EU Legal Trade Experts Advisory Group Meeting in Suva, Fiji, the objective of which was to discuss a draft legal framework for their EPA negotiations.
A similar meeting was also held for the Caribbean region in Belize from 24 to 26 May 2005, conducted in collaboration with the Caribbean Negotiating Machinery. The Commonwealth Secretariat, in collaboration with SADC, also serviced an EPA Meeting on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) in Maputo, Mozambique from 21 – 22 June 2005.
Acknowledging the fact that its small states members require significant assistance to adjust to the erosion of their EPAs, the Commonwealth Secretariat recently completed a study titled 'EPA Adjustment Study' which estimates an overall cost of EPA adjustment assistance for the ACP. The study, prepared by Professor Milner, estimates the cost for the ACP to be €9.1 billion. The study also provides a breakdown of the adjustment assistance support cost for each of the regional negotiating grouping. The report has since received widespread support from the ACP Group.
The Commonwealth is also supporting an ACP-wide review of Contonou instruments so as to arrive at innovative ways for strengthening investment instruments for the ACP Group.
The Commonwealth Secretariat is also concerned by the difficulties facing African countries without Geneva-based Missions to the WTO and is therefore preparing an initiative for the establishment of a similar facility in Geneva to serve Africa. After in-depth study and extensive discussion with these African countries and the regional economic integration institutions, the Commonwealth Secretariat undertook further research and feasibility studies and devised a mechanism for concretely addressing their needs.