Review EU CARIFORUM EPA :The first CF EU EPA review is/was scheduled no later than October 2013
Joyce Naar made this access to documents request to Trade This request has been closed to new correspondence. Contact us if you think it should be reopened.
Dear Trade (TRADE),
Under the right of access to documents in the EU treaties, as developed in Regulation 1049/2001, I am requesting documents which contain the following information:
At the signing of the CARIFORUM EU EPA in 2008 the parties CARIFORUM and EU adopted a Joint declaration in which parties agreed to review its application within five years.
The parties say in the Joint Declaration on the signing of the Economic Partnership Agreement : "We understand that, in the context of the continuing monitoring of the Agreement within its institutions, as provided for under article 5 of the Agreement, a comprehensive review shall be undertaken not later than 5 years after the date of signature and subsequent at 5-yearly intervals, to determine the impact of the Agreement, including the costs and consequences of implementation and to amend its provisions and adjust their application
as necessary" (Page 1954 and 1955 CF EU EPA agreement).
The review will take place under the broad umbrella of Article 5, which mandates ongoing monitoring of the EPA's achievement of a range of development and other social objectives.
Article 5 CF EU EPA (Monitoring): "The Parties undertake to monitor continuously the operation of the Agreement through their respective participative processes and institutions, as well as those set up under this Agreement, in order to ensure that the objectives of the Agreement are realised, the Agreement is properly implemented and the
benefits for men, women, young people and children deriving from their Partnership are maximised. The Parties also undertake to consult each other promptly over any problem that may arise".
When will the first CF EU EPA review scheduled no later than October 2013 take place and why did it not take place in or before October 2013?
Yours faithfully,
Joyce Naar
Dear Mr. Naar,
Your request for access to documents has been registered. This message is an acknowledgement of receipt.
In accordance with Regulation 1049/2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents, you will receive a reply within 15 working days (27/11/2013).
Yours faithfully,
Laura Saija
Access to Documents
European Commission
DG TRADE
Unit A3 - Information, communication and civil society
CHAR 7/90
B-1049 Brussels/Belgium
+32 2 29 83078
[email address]
Dear Ms. Naar,
Thank you for your recent request for information about the first review
of the CARIFORUM-EU EPA.
We do not have a document on this issue, other than the Joint Declaration
attached to the EPA (below), but I can confirm that the first review is
underway. The review may be addressed by all EPA bodies but will culminate
in a meeting of the Joint CARIFORUM-EU Council in 2014.
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JOINT DECLARATION ON THE SIGNING OF THE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
The Parties acknowledge that the signature of the Economic Partnership
Agreement (the ‘Agreement’) signals
the changing dynamics of the global economy as well as the continuing
importance of our cooperation to the
realisation of the development objectives of the CARIFORUM States.
As we affix our signature to the Agreement, we emphasise that it must be
supportive of the development
objectives, policies and priorities of the CARIFORUM States, not only in
its structure and content, but also in
the manner and spirit of its implementation.
L 289/II/1954 EN Official Journal of the European Union 30.10.2008
To that end and as indicated in article 4 of the Agreement, its
implementation will pay due regard to the
integration processes in CARIFORUM, including the aims and objectives of
the CARICOM Single Market and
Economy as outlined in the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas. In such
implementation, special consideration will
be given to reinforcing the regional integration schemes of the CARIFORUM
States and ensuring their further
sustainable advancement.
We declare our commitment to work closely, within the institutions of the
Agreement, to achieve its aims and
objectives taking special account of the different levels of development
among our countries, notably the
needs of the small vulnerable economies, including, in particular, Haiti
as a Least Developed Country, as well
as those designated as less developed under The Revised Treaty of
Chaguaramas.
We understand that, in the context of our continued monitoring of the
Agreement within its institutions, as
provided for under article 5 of the Agreement, a comprehensive review of
the Agreement shall be undertaken
not later than five (5) years after the date of signature and at
subsequent five-yearly intervals, in order to
determine the impact of the Agreement, including the costs and
consequences of implementation and we
undertake to amend its provisions and adjust their application as
necessary.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We are undertaking the review after October 2013 because we are still
gathering the data and views that we need, in close cooperation with the
CARIFORUM side. This also means we can have more extensive stakeholder
consultations than would otherwise have been possible.
I trust that this answers your questions and thank you again for your
interest in the EPA and its implementation.
Kind regards,
Ignacio Granell
Ignacio GRANELL
Economic Partnership Agreements - Overseas Countries and Territories
[1]http://ec.europa.eu/trade/images/ec-logo...
European Commission
DG TRADE
Unit D2
CHAR 09/192
B-1049 Brussels/Belgium
+32 296 74 06
[2][email address]
Dear Trade (TRADE),
Thank you for your reply, saying "that you do not have a document on this issue, meaning the first CF EU EPA review scheduled no later than October 2013, other than the joint Declaration from the signing in 2008 and your confirmation that the first review is underway, that the review may be addressed by all EPA bodies but will culminate in a meeting of the Joint CARIFORUM-EU Council in 2014, that you are undertaking the review after October 2013 because you are still gathering the data and views that you need, in close cooperation with the CARIFORUM side, which also means more extensive stakeholder consultations than would otherwise have been possible".
Is there a communication document and press release available that informs the stakeholders about the postponement of the CF EU EPA October review as well as the reasons for this delay?
Yours faithfully,
Joyce Naar
Dear Ms Naar,
Following the annual meeting of the Caribbean EPA Trade and Development Committee that brought together senior officials from CARIFORUM and the EU in Grenada last week, please find attached the Cariforum - EU Joint Press Release.
About the regular monitoring and review of the EPA, at present there are no further specifics.
Best regards,
Ignacio Granell
Dear Trade (TRADE),
Thank you for your reply.
Could you send me the documents including the minutes, participants list and agenda of the one-day meeting/ the annual Caribbean EPA Trade and Development Committee in Grenada on Thursday 21 November 2013 you mention in your reply.
Yours faithfully,
Joyce Naar
Dear Ms. Naar,
Please note that the proceedings of the Trade and Development Committee are confidential. However, I am sending you attached the agenda of the meeting.
Best regards,
Ignacio Granell
Dear Trade (TRADE),
Thank you for your reply.
Could you also say why the proceedings of the Trade and Development Committee are confidential?
Yours faithfully,
Joyce Naar
Dear Trade (TRADE),
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Trade (TRADE)'s handling of my FOI request 'Review EU CARIFORUM EPA :The first CF EU EPA review is/was scheduled no later than October 2013'.
There has been no response yet regarding the question I asked on 11 December 2013 "Could you also say why the proceedings of the Trade and Development
Committee are confidential?".
By law, under all circumstances, the authority should have responded by now.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: http://www.asktheeu.org/en/request/revie...
Yours faithfully,
Joyce Naar