Trade Facilitation also plays a very important role in enhancing trade between the Parties. The cost associated with trade facilitation however, can be onerous for CARIFORUM Governments and exporters. The EPA provides for EU cooperation in the area of customs and trade facilitation and sees these as an essential component of trade related development assistance. Vincentian exporters and importers therefore stand to benefit from the specific initiatives included in the EPA aimed at improving transparency, efficiency, integrity and accountability of customs operations. In this regard, the Agreement provides for EU development support and commitments by Customs authorities to implement international best practices, including the modernization of customs techniques, making publicly available all legislation, procedures, fees and charges and the simplification of customs procedures.
In an environment where tariffs are de-emphasised, monitoring and regulating non-tariff trade barriers assume greater importance. Our private sector and particularly the exporters and potential exporters alike, will have to keep abreast of all the technical requirements and standards which the market demands, while being wary of those who would wish to use these requirements conveniently to deny entry into markets.
This is a phenomenon which exists in the real world and trade dispute mechanisms within the WTO are replete with cases of protectionism based on these Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT). The EPA provisions with respect to Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and the Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary (SPS) measures are intended to assist the under- resourced CARIFORUM Member States in equipping themselves better to meet these non-tariff market access requirements.
Given what I have outlined above, the need is for the strengthening of the capacity of our private sector to trade in goods on a competitive basis in the EU. Technical assistance, training and capacity building remain a feature of the Agreement. The challenge however, is: how do we position ourselves to benefit from these measures which are enshrined in the Agreement? I have no doubt that these questions and issues will be central to your discussions, as you seek collectively, to fashion an appropriate strategy that will serve your our own business interests and the interests of the nation as a whole.
Technical assistance will not flow automatically, therefore public sector agencies, business support organizations and individual producers and exporters must be proactive in seeking EU development support. The development cooperation aspects of the EPA are not self-initiating. The onus is on the stakeholders to determine the priorities and specify what they want.
Public and private sector promotion agencies and business support agencies need to strengthen their competencies in gathering and using market intelligence and research, so that they will become better equipped to convert the market access provided under the Agreement into effective market penetration.
Additionally, the private sector would have to explore and seek to build strategic partnership with other businesses and investors across CARIFORUM and in the EU. This can go a long way in building stronger enterprises with a greater international reach and the ability to benefit from economies of scales and meaningful contacts in major foreign markets.
In closing, I would like to wish you all a very productive consultation. The Ministry looks forward to the outcome of this consultation and to continue working with all of you to implement and take advantage of the opportunities under the EPA.
