Common use of Cooperation and Development Clause in Contracts

Cooperation and Development. Since the signature of the EU-CARIFORUM Economic Partnership Agreement in 2008, the core of the financing for the implementation of the EPA originated from the 10th EDF Caribbean Regional Indicative Programme (CRIP). The main sector of concentration under the 10th EDF was economic regional integration including EPA implementation, with an allocation of €140 million (85% of the total CRIP). In particular, inside the CRIP the EPA support programme was earmarked a budget of €46,5 million to supporting CARIFORUM countries in better integrating into the world economy and reaping the full benefits of the EPA; the programme pivoted on 7 components varying from statistics, fiscal reform, technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, the services sector, support to the rum sector and support to the EPA unit. Overall, the implementation of the described programmes under the 10th EDF CRIP was characterized by a slow start, but execution has gradually recovered. At the end of the period the situation has been the following. At the end of the implementation period, 99% of the allocations have been contracted, 83% paid and 81% actually utilized by the implementing institutions. These cooperation programmes led to positive achievements. The region made progress towards a modern quality infrastructure according to internationally recognized principles. Progress included the development and operationalization of regional frameworks for standardization, metrology, conformity assessment and accreditation. Important steps towards harmonization of standards and procedures have also been made and country capacity of national Bureau of standards have been expanded and strengthened. Laboratories have been established in various countries and were supported and accreditation assessments were conducted throughout the region. Progress was made also on the regulatory side namely on SPS. Model Bills were developed in all key areas of plant health, animal health, food safety and fisheries. Fourteen Protocols were developed while capacity building was provided with over 2,000 regulatory personnel trained. Numerous private sector entities received direct technical assistance in Food Safety Management and Traceability and manuals and bulletins were completed for improving capacities of public and private sector stakeholders. A specific action supporting the Agriculture sector was also funded under the Intra-ACP Programmes providing support to dozens of small and medium operators, while the coconut sector received specific support under a programme that will be continued and scaled up in the coming years. Also the rum sector received support materialising in the introduction of the "Authentic Caribbean Rum Marque" as well as numerous promotion events, market researches and hundreds of operators trained. Through the Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre (CARTAC) the region has been receiving demand-driven Technical Assistance (TA) in core areas of economic and financial management. Public Finance Management (PFM) support is moving countries closer to core PFM standards, strengthening budget preparation and execution, modernizing legal frameworks, and improving the management of fiscal risks. CARTAC has played a crucial role in supporting tax reform and improving tax administration, particularly the successful launch of VAT in eight countries with ongoing support to a ninth. Other areas of intervention have included financial sector supervision and regulation and quality and timeliness of economic statistics. Looking forward, the total indicative allocation of the 11th EDF CRIP is €346 million which corresponds to a substantial increase in respect to the allocation of the 10th EDF (€165 million). Again, the largest allocation in the CRIP's sectors of intervention is earmarked to regional economic cooperation and integration (€102 million) processes in the Caribbean. These funds will also aim at enhancing international and intra-regional trade and investments and facilitating EPA implementation. Thus EPA implementation still represents the core business of EU-CARIFORUM cooperation. For the time being, new programmes have been already adopted in 2016 under the 11th EDF, namely a new private sector development programme to be implemented by Caribbean Export Development Agency (24 M€) and a new programme to support CARIFORUM in the implementation of the EPA for further 6.2 M€. A new EPA implementation proposal is under discussion by the parties, new forms and themes for cooperation are being explored. As an example, the excellent interactions that several agencies in the region have had on the issue of Intellectual Property, also benefiting by inputs from the EU Intellectual Property Organisation (EUIPO), are being examined.