Turkeyen, Georgetown – Head of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Implementation Unit of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Mr. Branford Isaacs says he looks forward to the convening of the first meeting of the Trade and Development Committee of the Caribbean Forum of African Caribbean Pacific Group of Countries (ACP) (CARIFORUM) and the European Union (EU).
The first meeting of the CARIFORUM-EU Trade and Development Committee is expected to be convened early in 2011.This announcement comes in the wake of a series of consultations, during which respective parties identified the outset of the New Year as a more propitious time for the convening of the Committee.
The CARIFORUM-EU Trade and Development Committee is the institution that is charged with responsibility for implementation and proper application of the EPA. The Committee is one of five institutions established to facilitate implementation of the Agreement. The other four are the Joint CARIFORUM-EU Council, the Special Committee on Customs Cooperation and Trade Facilitation, the CARIFORUM-EU Parliamentary Committee, and the CARIFORUM-EU Consultative Committee.
Mr Isaacs underlined that the Region, as CARIFORUM States would be afforded the opportunity to present information required under the terms of the CARIFORUM-EU EPA. He further noted that CARIFORUM and the EU will have the opportunity, on the occasion of this meeting, to engage in discussions on issues arising with respect to the implementation of the Agreement.
