ROADTOWN Tortola BVI, 24th January, 2012  --  Commissioner, Ministers, Heads of Government, fellow heads of delegations, delegates, friends and colleagues. The British Virgin Islands (BVI) is honoured to deliver this intervention on behalf of the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) on the future relationship between the EU and OCTs under a new Overseas Association Decision (OAD).

This forum is a particularly important occasion as it will be one of the last, if not the last, official opportunities for us to communicate our ideas and preferences for a new partnership.

Recognition OCTs as Members of the European Family
We the OCTs are proud to be members of the European family. We take pride in calling ourselves citizens of Europe and cherish the common values that we share. The OCTs can truly become the centres of excellence envisioned in the Joint Position Paper (JPP) signed in New Caledonia in 2011.

All too often, however, our needs and concerns have not been acknowledged within the European Union, to our detriment. In fact, in some quarters we are treated in the same manner as ACP countries, which should not be the case, either politically or technically. Furthermore, as a true part of the EU family, OCTs should be entitled to a wider range of horizontal programmes.

What we ask of the Commission is for a balanced partnership where we receive the recognition and attention that we deserve as part of the European family, and in return, we the OCTs will support the EU in spreading values of democracy, human rights, rule of law, free speech and environmental sustainability in our regions. Our partnership should not only be reflected in the EU’s rhetoric, but should also be reflected at policy level.

Revision of the OAD
The OAD is a critical component of our partnership and its revision is of extreme importance to us all. Its outcome will have a real impact on OCTs and a lasting effect on their development for decades to come. The new relationship must be better than in the past and address the specific needs of the OCTs, recognising their value to the EU in both a regional and global context.

No OCT should be worse off than under current arrangements. This revision should not simply be treated as an academic exercise, but rather as a critical process that will affect the lives of the people of the OCTs who are European citizens.

Communication between the Commission and OCTs on the substance of the revision has been poor to date. We believe that it is very important that the Commission indicate what changes it intends to make to the 2001 Decision and take on board OCTs’ recommendations. No one is more familiar with the challenges faced by OCTs than their leaders and people, and we deserve to play a central role in shaping the EU-OCT relationship at every stage as it evolves.

Therefore, we expect to provide input on the Commission’s legislative proposal and the revision as a whole. Without OCTs’ input, the process would be perceived as an empty exercise by some and viewed by others as an indication that the Commission is uninterested in engaging the very OCTs whom the future Decision will affect. There must be ownership of this process by both the Commission and the OCTs.

Regional Integration
We have a number of concerns with regard to trade. The Commission has emphasised its desire for OCTs to integrate economically into their regions. However, recognition must be given to the fact that the OCTs are at varying stages of development and face different challenges. There is no doubt that regional integration in many instances would help to solve the economic challenges facing some OCTs.

This is particularly true where conditions are optimal in terms of the OCTs’ ability to compete in a larger marketplace. OCTs are prepared to integrate, but the EU must take a partnership approach and not impose external standards detrimental to their development and not undermine OCTs’ trade preferences through regional and bilateral agreements.

Finally, regional integration is not a solution for those OCTs that are isolated, not belonging to any region, or where for political reasons, this would not be possible. Furthermore, these OCTs should not be excluded from EU programmes because of their remoteness. Special attention must be given to their unique situations.

Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria utilised by the EU to determine which OCTs can receive funds under the EDF programme is a major concern. The use of Gross National Product (GNP) per capita does not take into account the varying social and economic conditions among OCTs, creating a distorted view of OCT development. All OCTs face constraints of varying kind and each should be evaluated against its own circumstances and economic and environmental vulnerability.

GNP per capita is no longer an adequate measure of OCT development as an OCT may be saddled with high levels of debt that encumber its ability to borrow or have a small population from which it cannot raise the needed funds to fuel national development.

The EU’s own 2011 report on OCT Statistical Systems indicated that GNP per capita is not an appropriate measure of OCTs economic position. Rather, it recommends utilising Gross National Income (GNI) per capita as a more accurate measure, particularly where per capita income does not reflect the position of the large majority of a population.

Additionally, the report identified weaknesses in OCTs statistical systems and the need to develop harmonized statistical indicators to allow the both the EU and OCTs to measure OCT vulnerability and allow the Commission to fairly assess eligibility for development assistance for EU programmes.

The recommendations of the report strengthen our argument that GNP per capita should not be the main criterion by which OCTs qualify for territorial and other funding and that more emphasis should be placed on vulnerability.

Finally on this point, the OCTs are some of the countries and territories most affected by climate change in the world, due to their vulnerability. However, they are not major emitters of CO2 gas emissions into the atmosphere. We strongly recommend that the EU’s existing eligibility criteria be revised for the 11th EDF and that at a minimum, thematic funding on the environment be opened up to all OCTs for participation. It is undeniable that an issue such as climate change is a global problem that no country or territory alone can address simply by using its own internal resources.

Accessibility
In terms of EU programmes, the future OAD must address the accessibility issue connected to the 2001 Decision. All OCTs have experienced challenges with accessing EU programmes. We would gladly welcome the simplification and greater transparency of the administrative procedures attached to funding envelopes, which we believe would significantly improve access to EU funding.

In addition, the Commission in the future OAD should clearly set out how the principles and provisions of the articles contained in the Decision can be realised. In the drafting of the 2001 Decision, a number of useful trade related articles were included, but these largely went unused after adoption, in part because the means by which to initialize cooperation was oftentimes unclear. A new OAD should clearly state how its various articles can be directly translated into actual assistance.

A Strengthened Future Partnership
As I conclude, we would like to express our deep gratitude to the EU for all of the development assistance and support it has provided to the OCTs over the years. We are a part of the EU family and are looking forward to a strengthened and enduring relationship going forward.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am grateful for your patience and look forward to hearing from the remainder of my OCT colleagues.

Thank you.

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