Signing on: Seated (from left) are John Caloghirou, head of the Caribbean desk at the European Commission headquarters; European Commission's deputy director-general for trade Karl Falkenberg; and Ambassador Richard Bernal, director-general of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery. Standing is Dr Kusha Haraksingh, head Cariforum negotiator on legal issues.

by Rickey Singh

From next month most Caribbean goods and services will receive exemptions under a hard-fought arrangement with the European Union (EU).

The news came yesterday at Hilton Barbados after the region's team of negotiators concluded an historic trade and economic accord with the EU, three-and-a-half years in the making.

The entire CARIFORUM group of countries (CARICOM plus the Dominican Republic) agreed that from January 1, with a temporary exception for rice and sugar, all exports in goods and services originating from within the CARIFORUM group would be entitled to duty-free and quota-free access in Europe under the first-ever Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).

One of the major sticking points, the non-discriminatory access with respect to the region's culture industries, including the performing arts and writers, was also overcome with a commitment offered by 25 of the EU's 27 members.

CARICOM leaders, among them Prime Minister Owen Arthur (chairman of the community), who have been pressing for "the best possible deal" to be reached with the EU – whether on an interim or full EPA package of trade and economic development arrangements – were being officially informed from early yesterday morning of the breakthrough in final negotiations.

When CARICOM leaders met for a special summit in Guyana on December 7, they reaffirmed the mandate to the region's negotiators to conclude the most beneficial and complete accord possible in preference to securing an interim market access arrangement to meet a scheduled December 31, 2007 deadline, as proposed by the EC.

By 2010 rice and sugar, among vital exports and foreign exchange earnings for some Caribbean states, among them Guyana, Belize and Suriname, will also be eligible to duty-free and quota-free access on Europe's markets.

With respect to Caribbean sugar exports, a deal was reportedly reached whereby CARICOM sugar producers would gain an additional 30 000 tonnes to current allocations while the Dominican Republic would also benefit from a separate 30 000 tonnes access.

Another significant factor gained in the closing rounds of the final negotiations in Barbados was the concessions gained for Haiti and The Bahamas to access the services protocol of the EPA, with the understanding that they fulfilled relevant requirements over the next six months.