CRNM Director on 2 Day Visit to Federation


~~Adz:Left~~ Basseterre, St. Kitts - Newly appointed director of the CARICOM Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM) Mr. Henry Gill visited the Federation on Thursday on the start of a two day sensitization exercise on the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) involving the European Union and the CARIFORUM states.  The EPA is an arrangement which will provide reciprocal access to markets for goods, services and investment between the EU 27 member states and the 16 CARIFORUM countries. The EU constitutes the single largest economic space, highest per capita region and a population of nearly 500 million people.

The EPA is a successor arrangement to the interim trade agreement emerging out of the COTONOU agreement. The interim trade arrangements expired on 31st December, 2007 hence the urgency to completing the EPA negotiations by 31st December, 2007.

The CRNM was responsible for negotiating the EPA on behalf of CARIFORUM states.  Recently several high profile Caribbean personalities have been critical of the EPA.

Mr. Gill’s visit allowed him to meet, update and field questions from Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the Federal Cabinet, high level civil servants from St Kitts and Nevis and the general public at a public forum at the University Centre.

The Ministry of Trade hosted the CRNM Director General Mr. Henry Gill as part of its public education programme on the EPA.  Asked at the public forum about our country’s next step Dr Harris said that an EPA implementation committee will be set up to advise government on a proactive implementation plan. Minister Harris played an active role in the public education panel and fielded questions on the EPA. Dr Harris said his government remained committed to sign the EPA. “We do not now have a better or more feasible alternative to the EPA before us,” Minister Harris concluded.