Meddelande från Kommissionen till Rådet, Europaparlamentet och Europeiska Ekonomiska och Sociala kommittén - Ett partnerskap för tillväxt, stabilitet och utveckling mellan EU och Västindien {SEK(2006) 268} /* KOM/2006/0086 slutlig */





[pic] | EUROPEISKA GEMENSKAPERNAS KOMMISSION | Bryssel den 2.3.2006 KOM(2006) 86 slutlig MEDDELANDE FRÅN KOMMISSIONEN TILL RÅDET, EUROPAPARLAMENTET OCH EUROPEISKA EKONOMISKA OCH SOCIALA KOMMITTÉN ETT PARTNERSKAP FÖR TILLVÄXT, STABILITET OCH UTVECKLING MELLAN EU OCH VÄSTINDIEN {SEK(2006) 268} DEL I 1. INLEDNING Europa har starka historiska band med den västindiska regionen och vissa av EU:s medlemsstater har nära kopplingar till regionen, främst i form av Frankrikes utomeuropeiska territorier (DOM)[1] och det särskilda förhållandet mellan Storbritannien och Nederländerna och de utomeuropeiska länderna och territorierna. Västindiens framträdande roll inom gruppen av AVS-länder och dess inkludering i Cotonouavtalet utgör grunden för dess särskilda förhållande till EU. Partnerskapet mellan EU och Västindien måste även ses i ljuset av det bredare strategiska partnerskap mellan EU och Latinamerika/Västindien som grundlades mellan EU, Västindien och Latinamerika vid det första gemensamma toppmötet i Rio 1999. Detta meddelande om Västindien[2], som gäller de västindiska AVS-länderna[3], grundar sig på principerna för EU:s utvecklingspolitik, 2005 års europeiska samförstånd[4] och Cotonouavtalet[5] och bygger dessutom på över 30 års erfarenheter av samarbete. I meddelandet – med en etisk grundsyn som innefattar jämlikhet, partnerskap och ägarskap – skisseras den framtida politiken för förbindelserna mellan EU och Västindien. Målet är ett starkt partnerskap som gynnar båda sidor i internationella sammanhang där parterna kommer att arbeta tillsammans för de gemensamma idealen demokrati och mänskliga rättigheter och i kampen mot fattigdomen och de globala hoten mot fred, säkerhet och stabilitet. EU kommer också att hjälpa Västindien att uppfylla regionens utvecklingsmål och bemöta de många specifika utmaningar som regionen står inför. För att stötta Västindiens egen dagordning för reform och utveckling bygger målen för EU:s strategi på följande tre dimensioner: - Forma ett politiskt partnerskap med gemensamma värderingar som grund. - Ta itu med möjligheter och svagheter i ekonomin och på miljöområdet. - Främja den sociala sammanhållningen och bekämpa fattigdomen. 2. PARTNER MED EN GEMENSAM FRAMTIDSVISION EU:s strategi för Västindien är uppbyggd kring en gemensam framtidsvision baserad på en historia av delade värderingar och med fullt utnyttjande av Cotonouavtalets möjligheter. EU:s övergripande utvecklingsmål är att bistå alla länder i den västindiska regionen så att de kan uppnå sina långsiktiga utvecklingsmål av egen kraft i ett klimat av säkerhet och stabilitet. Detta omfattar även stöd till de västindiska länder som strävar efter att ansluta sig till gruppen i-länder före 2020, då det nuvarande Cotonouavtalet upphör att gälla. Kommissionen anser vidare att partnerskapet mellan EU och Västindien kan omfatta ekonomiska och politiska strategifrågor av ömsesidigt intresse på internationell nivå (t.ex. fred, bekämpning av narkotikahandel samt multilateralism). Syftet med meddelandet om Västindien är att belysa hur de utmaningar som Västindien står inför kan omvandlas till möjligheter genom att man fokuserar på den rätta ”politiska mixen”. Mer specifikt måste en strukturerad politisk dialog med regionen och ömsesidigt beslutade politiska strategimål som får stöd via EU:s existerande utvecklingssamarbete och instrument användas effektivare parallellt med Västindiens egna satsningar på att ytterligare utveckla sin potential och på att motverka att regionen blir en oroshärd. Detta kan åstadkommas genom att se till att EU uppmuntrar långvarig samhällsekonomisk tillväxt i Västindien. Genom att samtidigt främja god samhällsstyrning inom ekonomi och skatte- och rättsväsende och bistå regionen på sådana områden som bekämpning av den organiserade brottsligheten, migration och narkotikahandel, kan EU förhindra att Västindien blir en sviktande region. Ledarskap och lokalt ansvar från västindiernas sida är avgörande. 3. VÄSTINDIENS UTMANINGAR Geopolitiska utmaningar En stor utmaning för Västindien är att hitta rätt balans i dess förbindelser med olika partner i samma del av världen, främst USA, Brasilien och Venezuela. Flertalet västindiska länder arbetar för att upprätthålla välbalanserade förbindelser med större länder i närområdet. Med tanke på de skillnader som finns i denna del av världen är det en stor utmaning att upprätthålla en balans som respekterar de små östaternas intressen utan att exkludera regionen från stora ekonomiska framsteg. EU står bakom Västindiens strävan att skapa enighet i sin region, med Caricom[6] som integrationsinstrument och Cariforum[7] som samarbetsforum. Ett andra mål är att skapa band mellan Västindien och dess närområde, inklusive Central- och Latinamerika. Central- och Latinamerika innebär stora möjligheter för Västindien, men är också konkurrenter inom vissa råvarusektorer. Det pågår även territoriella konflikter bland länderna i dessa regioner. EU är närvarande i Västindien genom de utomeuropeiska departementen. Som ett led i den bredare integrationsprocessen bör samarbetet mellan AVS-ländernas västindiska grupperingar och de utomeuropeiska departementen och de utomeuropeiska länderna och territorierna stärkas. För att stärka den utåtblickande integrationsprocessen kommer EU att inrikta sig på det strategiska partnerskapet mellan EU och Latinamerika/Västindien. Generellt sett kan det regionala nätverket av grupperingar i hög grad stärka interaktionen och synergieffekterna, vilket med tiden bör leda till en smidig integration av regionen i världsekonomin. Samhällsekonomiska och miljömässiga utmaningar Västindien består mestadels av små östater med små, öppna men sårbara ekonomier som i många fall bygger på ett fåtal råvaror. Regionen drabbas ofta av naturkatastrofer. Västindiens dominerande ökaraktär är kanske den enskilt viktigaste faktorn som hämmar integrationsarbetet i regionen och som även fördyrar energi, transporter, kommunikationer och handel. Den västindiska regionen har som helhet nått en tämligen hög utvecklingsnivå, men det finns stora skillnader inom regionen. Den omfattar såväl medel- som låginkomstländer och även det fattigaste landet på norra halvklotet, nämligen Haiti. Genomsnittlig BNP per capita för 2005 uppskattas till 3 640 dollar. Sedan 1970-talet har den genomsnittliga tillväxten i regionen dock sjunkit för varje årtionde[8]. Alla länder i regionen är i varierande grad sårbara för såväl ekonomiska chocker som naturkatastrofer och står inför samma samhällsekonomiska och miljömässiga utmaningar, däribland sämre social sammanhållning och i vissa fall betydande fattigdom som i Haiti, Guyana och vissa länder i Östkaribiska staters organisation (OECS). Andra problem är arbetslöshet, särskilt bland ungdomar och tvångsförflyttade lantarbetare, migration och kompetensflykt, relativt många fall av hiv/aids, en långsam diversifiering från traditionella sektorer, produktivitets- och konkurrenskraftsproblem, hög skuldsättning, samt behov av ekonomiska reformer och omstrukturering av den offentliga sektorn. Miljöproblemen omfattar naturkatastrofer, klimatförändring och förvaltning av naturtillgångar. Bakom de ekonomiska och sociala problemen döljer sig även säkerhets- och stabilitetsproblem som har sin rot i politiska och i vissa fall etniska spänningar, brottslighet, narkotika och därtill relaterad brottslighet samt väpnat våld. Västindien står inför ett vägskäl. Det krävs djärva initiativ från ledarna om regionen skall kunna ta itu med dessa utmaningar. Trots att man vid ett första ögonkast kan förledas att tro något annat på grundval av ekonomiska indikatorer och vissa länders ambitioner att nå status som utvecklade länder senast 2020, finns det anledning att befara att vissa västindiska länder kan halka ner från medel- till låginkomstländer om det inte vidtas åtgärder för att vända den ekonomiska trenden och utarbeta säkerhets- och stabilitetsstrategier som fullt ut tar hänsyn till framväxande globala realiteter och tar itu med framtida utmaningar och möjligheter. DEL II – FRÅN UTMANINGAR TILL MÖJLIGHETER För tio år sedan sågs EU som svaret på Västindiens problem, men i dag råder uppfattningen att förbindelserna mellan EU och Västindien är ansträngda. Situationen påverkas även av oundvikliga ändringar i ordningarna för förmånshandel och svårigheter när det gäller utvecklingssamarbetet, både i fråga om att betala ut och absorbera biståndet. Att göra något åt denna uppfattning är en gemensam utmaning för EU och medlemsstaterna. Det slutgiltiga målet för EU är att hjälpa Västindien att på ett positivt sätt ta itu med regionens utmaningar. För att uppnå detta mål är EU:s strategi uppbyggd kring tre pelare: Utforma ett politiskt partnerskap med gemensamma värderingar som grund, ta itu med sårbarheten i ekonomin och på miljöområdet samt främja den sociala sammanhållningen och bekämpa fattigdomen. Genom att arbeta med dessa mål kollektivt kan EU bistå Västindien i dess strävan att omvandla sig själv till möjligheternas region. 4. FORMA ETT POLITISKT PARTNERSKAP MED GEMENSAMMA VÄRDERINGAR SOM GRUND Ett starkt politiskt partnerskap mellan EU och Västindien – som bygger på gemensamma värderingar – är centralt för att ytterligare stärka förbindelserna mellan EU och Västindien och tillsammans möta den västindiska regionens politiska utmaningar. För att utveckla detta politiska partnerskap måste mer tid ägnas åt dialog, både lokalt och i regionala internationella forum. När det gäller Västindien kommer EU att prioritera sina förbindelser med Cariforum i syfte att täcka en bred uppsättning frågor av vikt för båda sidor, inklusive konsolidering av demokratin, mänskliga rättigheter, jämställdhet, social sammanhållning och människovärdiga arbetstillfällen, säkerhet, stabilitet, konfliktförebyggande, migration, narkotika och regional integration. Denna nya politiska dialog kommer också att samverka med det civila samhället för att se till att alla i samhället kan göra sin röst hörd. Toppmötet mellan EU och Latinamerika/Västindien, som anordnas vart annat år, utgör ett bra tillfälle för politisk dialog på högsta nivå mellan EU och Västindien där man kan ta upp det förhållande som håller på att växa fram mellan Västindien, dess geografiska grannar och EU. I linje med EU:s politiska prioritering för Västindien kommer en ny politisk dialog att inledas vid det kommande mötet mellan EU-trojkan och Västindien i Wien i maj 2006. Inom ramen för EU:s politiska dialog med Cariforum och Latinamerika/Västindien kommer det att beredas tillfälle att gå vidare med frågor av gemensamt intresse. Man kommer bl.a. att inrikta sig på den bredare regionala integrationsprocessen, konsolidering av demokratin, mänskliga rättigheter, social sammanhållning och människovärdiga arbetstillfällen, säkerhet, stabilitet, konfliktförebyggande och narkotikahandel. Den politiska dialogen kan dessutom vara särskilt användbar för att skapa fred och bidra till en fredlig övergångsstrategi i Haiti. Dörren står vidare alltid öppen för en politisk dialog med Kuba på områden där förbindelserna och stödet kan stärkas ytterligare inom ramen för den gemensamma ståndpunkt som antogs 1996 och som utgjort grunden för EU:s politiska hållning gentemot Kuba[9]. Säkerhet har blivit en viktig prioritering i hela världen på senare år, då många länder har drabbats av terroristattacker. Att garantera säkerhet och rättssäkerhet, i kombination med jämlikhet, rättvisa och full respekt för de mänskliga rättigheterna, erkänns nu som grundläggande gemensamma prioriteringar för EU och den västindiska regionen. EU och Västindien kommer därför att samarbeta och diskutera säkerhetshot, däribland icke-spridning av massförstörelsevapen, olagliga handeldvapen och lätta vapen samt kampen mot terrorism. EU bör i allt större omfattning använda sig av regionala och nationella utvecklingsstrategier och utvecklingsinstrument för att angripa de grundläggande orsakerna till otrygghet, instabilitet och konflikter, där fattigdom, ojämlikhet och brist på social sammanhållning ingår. I synnerhet i vissa svaga stater som riskerar att halka ner från medel- till låginkomstländer måste en anda av konfliktförebyggande utvecklas och främjas. De västindiska länderna måste också själva ta ansvar för denna uppgift. Därför uppmuntras Caricom/Cariforum att gå vidare med initiativ på det politiska planet, exempelvis valövervakning och specialuppdrag för att lösa politiska tvister, som kommer att få ytterligare stöd av EU i framtiden. I Västindien är man medveten om att god och effektiv samhällsstyrning är en förutsättning för hållbar utveckling. Denna aspekt är ytterligare en av EU:s ledstjärnor, vilket fastställdes i meddelandet om styre och utveckling från 2003[10]. Det centrala i god och effektiv samhällsstyrning är uppbyggnaden av trovärdiga institutioner både på nationell och regional nivå, till exempel parlament, rättsväsen och offentliga system för ekonomisk förvaltning. EU kommer systematiskt att stödja dessa viktiga institutioner eftersom de är väsentliga inslag i EU:s prioriteringar för god samhällsstyrning i Västindien. Det skall dock framhållas att god samhällsstyrning inte bara är en fråga om institutionsuppbyggnad, utan även om ändamålsenlig politik och lämplig lagstiftning och reglering på såväl det ekonomiska, det sociala som det politiska planet. EU kommer därför att fortsätta att främja öppenhet och effektivt informationsutbyte mellan myndigheter för att bekämpa korruption och ekonomiska oegentligheter i näringslivet och finanssektorn. EU kommer även att bidra till goda styrelseformer på finans- och skatteområdena och på det rättsliga området. EU har förbundit sig att påskynda processen för ratificering av FN:s konvention mot internationell organiserad brottslighet och FN:s konvention mot korruption. Dessutom kommer EU att uppmuntra antagandet och genomförandet av internationella normer i fråga om förebyggande och bekämpning av penningtvätt, terrorism, skattebedrägerier och skatteflykt. EU kommer också att ta upp de västindiska ländernas begränsade institutionella och tekniska förmåga att hantera organiserad brottslighet och narkotikahandel på ett effektivt och heltäckande sätt genom utarbetande av interna strategier och kapacitetsuppbyggnad. Åtgärderna kommer att omfatta följande: En utökad politisk dialog inom ramen för förbindelserna mellan EU och Cariforum och EU och Latinamerika/Västindien om en rad ämnen av gemensamt intresse. Åtgärder för att stödja god och effektiv samhällsstyrning. Fördjupat samarbete inom internationella forum. | - 5. TA ITU MED MÖJLIGHETER OCH SVAGHETER I EKONOMIN OCH PÅ MILJÖOMRÅDET I en allt mer globaliserad värld med allt större ömsesidigt beroende är det ett viktigt mål för EU:s utvecklingspolitik att hjälpa utvecklingsländer att bli bättre på att utnyttja globaliseringsprocessen. Därför måste överensstämmelsen mellan EU:s handelspolitik och EU:s politiska dialog med Västindien utnyttjas i högre grad i syfte att utarbeta livskraftiga ekonomiska modeller för regionen. Med detta mål för ögonen kommer EU att kraftfullt stödja fullbordandet av och arbetet med att driva Caricoms gemensamma marknad och ekonomi, CSME, både som en faktor för regional integration och med tanke på upprättandet av avtalet om ekonomiskt partnerskap med EU. Unionen kommer att bidra till att stärka och effektivisera befintliga regionala institutioner och organ med målet att sörja för en smidig drift av den inre marknaden. Dessutom kan den särskilda utvecklingsfonden och den regionala utvecklingsfonden bidra till Caricoms gemensamma marknad och ekonomi. Flera länder, däribland OECS-länderna, kommer direkt att kunna dra nytta av sådana solidaritetsbaserade instrument. En väldefinierad och trovärdig dagordning för integrationen och en fungerande inre marknad är nödvändiga byggstenar för att uppnå ett bra resultat för de förhandlingar om ett avtal om ekonomiskt partnerskap som inleddes i april 2004. Avtalsprocessen kommer att vara ett stöd för den regionala integrationen i Västindien och ge ett regelbaserat ramverk som bidrar till att stärka konkurrenskraften, diversifiera exporten och skapa regionala marknader, vilket bidrar till en hållbar ekonomisk utveckling. Den kommer också att underlätta anpassningen – även dess sociala dimension – till de handelspolitiska reformerna och ta itu med den viktiga frågan om att minska budgetens nuvarande stora beroende av importinkomster. Denna integrationsprocess är viktig för den västindiska ekonomins framtid ur ett strategiskt perspektiv. Utvecklingsdimensionen bör framhållas ytterligare för att bättre hjälpa den västindiska regionen att nå strategiska mål för den globala konkurrenskraften. EU kommer att öka sitt handelsrelaterade bistånd till Västindien i syfte att stärka den inhemska och regionala handelspolitiken och förhandlingsförmågan och bistå länderna vid förhandlingar om och genomförande av WTO-avtalen och avtalen om ekonomiska partnerskap samt med andra pågående handelsförhandlingar. EU kommer också att uppmuntra utvecklingen av tull- och handelsbefrämjande åtgärder och användningen av internationella standarder. Att undanröja nuvarande hinder för handel och investeringar inom regionen och införa mer stabila, öppna och förutsägbara regler och tillförlitliga institutioner kommer i hög grad att bidra till de nationella och regionala ekonomiernas tillväxt. I detta sammanhang är nyckeln till en lyckad ekonomisk diversifiering och framgångsrika strukturella reformer att regionen och de västindiska ländernas regeringar slår fast och effektivt genomför långsiktiga nationella strategier tillsammans med den privata sektorn. Även arbetsmarknadens parter bör delta i utformningen av dem. EU kommer på begäran att hjälpa till att utarbeta sådana nationella strategier. Om strategin blir framgångsrik eller inte kommer an på om den klarar av att på ett konkret och meningsfullt sätt stödja den privata sektorn i dess uppgift att vara motorn i den ekonomiska utvecklingen. Den privata sektorn – och i synnerhet små och medelstora företag – bör få stöd, eftersom de förväntas vara drivkraften bakom hållbar tillväxt och sysselsättningsskapande. Det viktigaste målet för EU kommer att vara att stödja skapandet av den rätta miljön för näringslivsutveckling, forskning och utveckling och informations- och kommunikationsteknik inom regionen. Regionens allmänt sett små öppna ekonomier är särskilt sårbara för globala marknadskrafter och i synnerhet för förändringar som påverkar stabiliteten på finansmarknaderna. Därför måste framväxten av finansiella tjänster i regionen gå hand i hand med utvecklingen av ett ändamålsenligt regelverk, främst för att förhindra och bekämpa oegentligheter i näringslivet och finanssektorn. I samarbete med Västindien, AVS-länderna och ULT kommer EU att stödja god styrning inom finans- och skatteområdena och inom det rättsliga området, i synnerhet med när det gäller insyn och öppenhet och effektivt informationsutbyte av skatteskäl. Denna fråga kommer också att tas upp inom ramen för avtalen om ekonomiskt partnerskap. Även Europeiska investeringsbanken kan spela en viktig roll när det gäller att garantera en framgångsrik omvandling av ekonomierna i regionen. Det betyder i praktiken att insatser för strukturreformer och ekonomisk diversifiering med övergång från traditionella sektorer till varor och tjänster med högre förädlingsvärde kommer att stödjas. Kommunikationerna inom och mellan regionerna måste få stöd (regionala flygplatser, hamnar och informations- och kommunikationsteknik). Detta kräver bättre regional samordning av transportpolitik och transporttjänster och långtgående reformer av utbudssidan (t.ex. i luftfarten). Säkerheten inom luft- och sjöfart blir också allt viktigare. När det gäller energi kommer särskild tonvikt att läggas på förnybara energikällor. Därför kommer EU att stimulera samarbetet inom en bredare krets av västindiska länder för att sprida exempel på goda lösningar om hur man bäst kan diversifiera energikällorna. Allt EU-bistånd, oberoende av källa eller instrument, bör kanaliseras på enhetligt sätt och kommer att anslås i full överensstämmelse med enskilda nationella utvecklingsstrategier. För EU:s utvecklingsbistånd kommer detta att gälla såväl utvecklingssamarbete som alla råvaruspecifika instrument, däribland socker och bananer, som, beroende på varje lands särdrag, syftar till att stärka konkurrenskraften, bidra till ekonomisk diversifiering och fånga upp de sociala sidoeffekter som kan bli följden av stora förändringar inom dessa traditionella sektorer. Naturen och naturtillgångarna är en viktig tillgång för regionen, länderna och, i synnerhet, den fattigare delen av lokalbefolkningen. Sambanden mellan miljön och den samhällsekonomiska utvecklingen kommer att framhållas i EU:s stöd till regionen. Vid sidan av naturkatastrofer har de västindiska staterna många utmaningar att tampas med på miljöområdet, bl.a. markförstöring, skogsskövling, vattenbrist, förvaltning av fiskbestånd, biologisk utarmning, hantering av avfall och farliga kemiska ämnen och, på senare tid, klimatförändring, som alla i hög grad påverkar regionens ekonomiska och sociala utveckling. EU kommer att fortsätta att stödja åtgärder för att hantera dessa utmaningar och bygga upp kunskap och kapacitet när det gäller begränsning och anpassning till klimatförändringar och hållbar förvaltning av naturtillgångar. EU kommer att dela med sig av sina erfarenheter av globala miljöfrågor till de västindiska partnerna. EU kommer även att bidra till att förbättra regionens kapacitet att hantera naturkatastrofer på alla nivåer, med tonvikt på riskminskning, beredskap, tidig varning, förebyggande och begränsning. Framför allt åtgärder för återuppbyggnad och återhämtning kräver förbättringar genom nya och snabbare utbetalningssystem som omfattar redan avsatta medel. Åtgärderna kommer att omfatta följande: Stöd till fullbordandet av Caricoms gemensamma marknad och ekonomi. Stöd till regional integration på Caricom-nivå och utökat regionalt samarbete inom ramen för Cariforum och bland Cariforum, de utomeuropeiska departementen och de utomeuropeiska länderna och territorierna. Fortsatt framgångsrika förhandlingar och slutförande av dem med sikte på ett avtal om ekonomiskt partnerskap mellan EU och Cariforum senast 2008, inklusive handelsrelaterat bistånd och stöd till goda styrelseformer inom finans- och skatteområdena och det rättsliga området. Stöd till strukturreformer och ekonomisk diversifiering med bred inriktning, inklusive kommunikationer och energi, och stöd till den privata sektorn och det civila samhället. Stöd till att hantera naturkatastrofer och andra specifika utmaningar på miljöområdet. | - 6. FRÄMJA DEN SOCIALA SAMMANHÅLLNINGEN OCH BEKÄMPA FATTIGDOMEN Genom att Västindiens största svagheter tacklas kommer regionen att både kunna stärka sin ekonomiska konkurrenskraft och sörja för bättre social sammanhållning. Tonvikten kommer särskilt att läggas vid att förebygga ytterligare social obalans och påfrestningar på miljön. Dessutom kommer samordnade insatser att vidtas för att hantera migrationen och minska arbetslösheten. Alla dessa insatser måste vidtas på ett samordnat sätt inom en enhetlig strategi. Det finns områden med extrem fattigdom i Västindien, trots att länderna i allmänhet uppvisar goda resultat när det gäller millennieutvecklingsmålen. EU kommer att stödja Västindiens arbete med att bemöta den kroniska fattigdomen genom biståndsstrategier som syftar till en hållbar grundläggande försörjning. EU kommer att stödja nationella strategier som bland annat omfattar i) stöd till sociala skyddsnät och ii) stöd till att förbättra de fattigaste befolkningsgruppernas inkomstmöjligheter på landsbygden, i mer tätbefolkade områden och i tätorter. Med tanke på detta mål kommer EU att fortsätta att prioritera det civila samhällets arbete i Västindien. Stöd för att tackla hiv/aids och även andra allvarliga endemiska hälsoproblem i regionen är en prioritering för Västindien. Av denna anledning kommer EU även fortsättningsvis att ekonomiskt bidra till den globala fonden för bekämpning av hiv/aids, tuberkulos och malaria. EU har redan utarbetat ett meddelande om bekämpning av hiv/aids[11]. När det gäller hälso- och sjukvård rent allmänt kommer EU att stödja en regionalisering av samarbetet mellan hälso- och sjukvårdstjänster i regionen. Bland EU:s prioriteringar finns utbyggnad av hälso- och sjukvården i regionen, med särskilt tonvikt på personal och rättvis tillgång till och finansiering av hälso- och sjukvård, vilket man vill åstadkomma genom att i högre grad arbeta med utgångspunkt i sektorsövergripande strategier och sektoriellt budgetstöd. När det gäller narkotika kommer EU:s åtgärder att inriktas på utveckling och genomförande av regionala och nationella strategier som behandlar såväl utbuds- som efterfrågeaspekter och tillhörande frågor som narkotikarelaterad brottslighet och väpnat våld, som är på uppgång i regionen. Det är nödvändigt att stärka den regionala samordningen av olika program för narkotikakontroll genom att stärka behöriga, permanenta regionala institutioner. Det långsiktiga målet är att se till att narkotikarelaterade strategier integreras helt i de regionala utvecklingsstrategierna och i Västindiens sociala, ekonomiska och politiska liv. Först och främst kommer EU att fokusera på en policy som är inriktad på förebyggande åtgärder mot narkotika, med tonvikten på utbildning och upplysning. När det gäller att minska efterfrågan kommer EU att stödja regionens insatser för att öka nivån på övervakning, utbildning och organisationer (både rättsliga och operativa) och samordning i syfte att minska efterfrågan på narkotika. När det gäller utbudet kommer EU att bidra till regionens insatser för att öka sitt engagemang i den internationella kampen mot narkotika, i synnerhet när det gäller att förbättra samordningen och samarbetet med länderna i Latinamerika. Utbildning är också en nyckel till att hjälpa berörda samhällsgrupper att komma ur fattigdomsfällan, genom att förmedla de färdigheter som krävs för ekonomisk diversifiering inom exempelvis tjänstesektorn. Att arbeta för en humankapital- och kunskapsbaserad tillväxt kommer även att bidra till målet att förbättra möjligheterna till social rörlighet för dem som drabbas av strukturreformerna och den ekonomiska omvandlingen. Kompetensflykt, samhällsekonomisk alienation och svag social sammanhållning är vardagen för många i Västindien. Att tillhandahålla den kunskapsbas och ”know-how” som krävs för att kunna dra nytta av den ekonomiska diversifieringen kommer att vara en viktig EU-strategi för att ta itu med rådande sociala och samhällsekonomiska utmaningar. EU har länge spelat en viktig roll när det gäller att stödja utbildning i Västindien, framför allt på gymnasienivå, eftergymnasial nivå och universitetsnivå. Detta samarbete kommer att fortsätta och utökas. Till följd av toppmötet mellan EU och Latinamerika/Västindien i Guadalajara prioriterar EU skapandet av ett gemensamt område för högre utbildning för EU och Latinamerika/Västindien. Åtgärderna kommer att omfatta följande: Prioritering av social sammanhållning och bekämpning av fattigdomen i utvecklingssamarbetet. Stöd till kampen mot hiv/aids och andra endemiska hälsoproblem. Ökat samarbete i kampen mot narkotika, både i fråga om utbud och efterfrågan och narkotikarelaterad brottslighet. Utveckling av humankapitalet som stöd för den ekonomiska diversifieringen och kampen mot fattigdom och social utslagning. | - DEL III 7. STÖRRE EFFEKTIVITET Från både EU:s och Västindiens sida krävs samordnade insatser, baserade på erfarenheter som går långt tillbaka i tiden, för att skapa ett mer strukturerat och moget samarbete som är bättre anpassat till den västindiska regionens särdrag. Flera strukturella problem inverkar på mobiliseringen av biståndet och leder även till spänningar i förbindelserna mellan EU och Västindien. De västindiska länderna får stöd från Europeiska utvecklingsfonden (EUF) och även från ett flertal andra budgetinstrument. Dock har samstämmigheten och komplementariteten mellan de olika strategier som reglerar användningen av dessa instrument och den rad åtgärder som finansieras varit otillräcklig. Att det har bedrivits många små projekt som omfattar ett brett spektrum av sektorer, i kombination med ofta krångliga formella krav, lägger en ohanterlig börda på små och svaga nationella och regionala genomförandeorgan och statliga institutioner. Detta är också ett problem för gemenskapens delegationer i regionen. Regionala och nationella biståndsstrategier bör innehålla en högre grad av samstämmighet och tillhörande regionala och nationella vägledande programmen bör, i möjligaste mån, förstärka varandra. Subsidiaritetsprincipen, som säger att det som bäst kan göras på nationell eller regional nivå också skall göras där, bör tjäna som ledstjärna för valet av åtgärder enligt de regionala och nationella vägledande programmen. Som generell regel bör man använda budgetstöd på nationell nivå och överenskommelser om bidrag med regionala organ. Program för budgetstöd har många potentiella fördelar, däribland en högre grad av ägarskap, sänkta transaktionskostnader och effektivare användning av bistånd. Budgetstöd bidrar också i hög till strukturomvandlingen, i synnerhet om det beviljas i ett sammanhang som kännetecknas av att det finns och genomförs en enda sund nationell eller regional utvecklingspolitik. Som rutin kommer budgetstöd att tillhandahållas tillsammans med ett krav på en öppen och ansvarsfull ekonomisk och administrativ förvaltning av utvecklingsbiståndet. På nationell nivå kommer EU-biståndet att byggas upp kring en enda nationell utvecklingsstrategi som skall omfatta alla gemenskapsinstrument, även EUF, särskilda anslag som gäller bananer, socker, ris och rom och alla andra budgetrubriker och faciliteter. På så sätt skall man försöka lösa många av de problem som uppstått i fråga om råvaruspecifika instrument, exempelvis den särskilda ramen för bistånd till AVS-bananleverantörer. På regional nivå och i nära samarbete med Caricom/Cariforum-sekretariatet kan man överväga om instrument som den nya regionala utvecklingsfonden är en av de möjliga kanalerna för EU:s regionala utvecklingsbistånd till Västindien. Synergieffekter mellan utvecklingsprogram för AVS, de utomeuropeiska territorierna och länderna och de utomeuropeiska departementen, och även EU-program som gäller Latinamerika, kommer aktivt att stimuleras. Europeiska kommissionen har föreslagit en förenklad struktur för tillhandahållande av gemenskapens externa bistånd med inriktning på att stimulera till enhetlighet och konsekvens, förbättra ekonomiska och administrativa förfaranden och underlätta samfinansiering med andra givare. Kommissionen lägger även fram förlag till en gemensam ram för flerårig programplanering som skall gälla för alla EU:s medlemsstater[12]. Dessutom kommer program för budgetstöd att leda till att de västindiska regeringarna kan ha en mer optimal mix av kapitalutgifter och löpande utgifter genom att stöd från givare tas upp i statsbudgeten. Åtgärderna kommer att omfatta följande: Främjande av en enda strategi för ett land eller en region som reglerar användningen av allt utvecklingsbistånd från EU, oberoende av källa eller instrument. Användning av budgetstöd och överenskommelser om bidrag som förstahandsval när det gäller instrument för genomförande av utvecklingsbistånd. Förenkling av ekonomiska och administrativa förfaranden för biståndet och en harmonisering av programplaneringen mellan Europeiska gemenskapen och medlemsstaterna. | - 8. SLUTSATSER – EU:S MERVÄRDE FÖR VÄSTINDIEN EU och Västindien har ett mångårigt och starkt partnerskap som bygger på en gemensam historia och delade värderingar. Genom åren har detta partnerskap varit viktigt och givande för båda parter. Cotonouavtalet, som löper fram till 2020, är en solid bas för att göra detta uppskattade förhållande ännu starkare. Cotonouavtalets många möjligheter måste tas till vara. EU och Västindien bör arbeta sida vid sida i en global insats för att främja demokrati, grundläggande mänskliga rättigheter, fred och stabilitet i världen och för att bekämpa fattigdomens gissel. Västindien har slagit in på en väg mot regional integration, mer omfattande regionalt samarbete, ekonomisk diversifiering, omstrukturering och reform. Detta är ett sätt att ta vara på möjligheter och minimera globaliseringens negativa effekter på små och i dagsläget sårbara stater och en väg för folken i Västindien att uppfylla sin önskan om mänsklig utveckling. Nationella regeringar, det civila samhället, privata företag och regionala strukturer i Västindien kommer naturligtvis att bära ansvaret för att utforma sin egen framtid. Med utgångspunkt i en delad framtidsvision, med hjälp av ett fördjupat politiskt partnerskap och stöd till insatser för att ta itu med regionens samhällsekonomiska svagheter och miljöproblem och för att främja social sammanhållning och bekämpa fattigdomen kommer EU att vara en pålitlig partner för Västindien i detta arbete. Mötet mellan EU:s trojka och Västindien inom ramen för toppmötet mellan EU och Latinamerika/Västindien kommer att utgöra startskottet för en förnyad och fördjupad politisk dialog. ANNEX I AN EU-CARIBBEAN PARTNERSHIP FOR GROWTH, STABILITY AND DEVELOPMENT 1. The overall context, geopolitical dynamics, independence to present day Most of the Caribbean countries[13] gained independence in the 1960s from the European colonial powers. Countries were granted independence on an individual basis even though integration efforts existed since the 1950s, such as the Caribbean Federation[14]. It was the height of the cold war and all regions of the world were important to the superpowers jostling for influence, allies and UN votes. The region is characterized by a strong diversity in its history and socio/cultural development and with great disparities in economic development and wealth distribution; ranging from the impoverished island of Haiti, to the wealthy Turks and Caicos Islands, and with varied forms of government ranging from Cuba’s socialism to the stable democracies of the majority of the archipelago. Several of the smaller islands of the region still retain close links to their former colonial metropoles in the form of self governing overseas countries and territories in the case of the Netherlands and the UK and in the form of parts fully included in the national territory in the case of France. The early post colonial period was a period of continued strong involvement of the ex-colonial powers which also extended to the economic life of the region, with the establishment of preferential trade arrangements particularly in the area of commodities such as sugar, bananas and rum. Preferential arrangements with the EU, the US[15] and Canada[16], coupled with above average aid flows, in particular from the former colonial powers resulting from decolonization sentiments, led to the development of higher standards of living than the norm in other developing countries. This period was also characterised by isolationism and an almost exclusive focusing of external relations on relations with the former European metropoles, the USA and Canada. The end of the Cold War in the early 1990s meant that the Caribbean region lost geostrategic importance. At the same time, there has been a gradual erosion of preferential trade arrangements, a diminishing of aid and an overall slowdown in growth which accentuated the fault lines in what is now coming to be seen as an inherently unsustainable system. In terms of ranking in the Human Development Index, six countries are placed in the High Human Development cluster and with the exception of Haiti, a Least Developed Country (LDC), the rest are in the Middle Human Development cluster. With the exception of Haiti the region as a whole is currently scoring reasonably well in the MDGs. However, there are concerns that current levels of Human Development and MDG indicators could be unsustainable. Although characterized by overall satisfactory levels of human development, poverty, inequality and reduced social cohesion are a growing reality. Caribbean countries have experienced serious social problems in recent years.. Indeed, poverty levels range between 8 and 35% with Haiti being the poorest country of the Hemisphere. Unemployment, inequality and the precarious situation and rights of indigenous populations in countries such as Belize, Guyana, Suriname and Dominica further aggravates the socio-economic situation. The Caribbean, with 2.4%, has the second highest incidence of HIV/AIDS after Sub Saharan Africa. The cost to the region of HIV/AIDS is estimated at 6% of GDP per annum[17]. Security and stability within the region are under threat from a resurgence of internal ethnic tensions, criminality, drugs, drug related crime and armed violence. Internal social, economic, and in some cases political problems are fuelling a rising migration sapping the region of much needed quality human resources. Despite an overall trend of declining unemployment in the region especially in countries like Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago, where it dropped from more than 20% in the beginning of the 1990s to around 10% in the beginning of the year 2000, unemployment rates tend to remain stable in the rest of the Caribbean region. The Caribbean is a region at a crossroads. Bold leadership initiatives are required if the region is to face the political, economic and security challenges. There are concerns- including within the region - that the Caribbean may slip from Middle Income to Low Income country status if steps are not taken to reverse economic trends and to define strategies that will take fully into account emerging global realities and seize the opportunities ahead. Regionalism in the Caribbean emerged as a response to overcoming the development constraints of small size and is present in various forms from economic/political cooperation and association to economic and monetary union. CARICOM dates from the early 1970s[18]. Similarly to other regional organisations, including the EU, CARICOM had to adjust its original scope and membership to adapt to the very different trade patterns, economic and political structures in the globalised world of today. The new regionalism in the Caribbean is one that reflects a shift, towards closer relationships between the countries of the wider Caribbean and Latin America. 2. Partners in a shared vision of the future The EU and the Caribbean have a long-lasting relationship based on the legacy of history, common values, economic and trade cooperation and an important volume of trade exchange. Colonisation of the Caribbean mainly by Britain, France, Spain and the Netherlands dates back to the 17th Century. The EU remains very present in the region particularly through its member states who still have close links with the region: France through their DOMs and the UK and the Netherlands through their OCTs, and through privileged bilateral relations between individual Caribbean states and EU Member states. Notwithstanding expressed interest from all sides, effective economic and development cooperation has not fully materialised to date. While efforts are being undertaken in that direction there is clearly a need to do more. Since the UK accession to the EU the successive EU-ACP Conventions have become the framework for relations between the Caribbean Region and the European Union. The present preferential Cotonou ACP Agreement, concluded in 2000 and revised in 2005, combines a political dimension with trade and development issues in a single comprehensive framework, which will remain in place until 2020. However, so far the political dimension of Cotonou has remained largely under utilised. At the regional level political dialogue in future will be prioritised at the annual CARIFORUM – EU Ministerial meetings, while inter-regional level political dialogue will be intensified at the EU-LAC bi-annual summits in a troika context. The Caribbean forum of ACP States CARIFORUM[19] was established in 1990 to provide a mechanism for the 15 Caribbean ACP states to manage regional cooperation under the Lomé Convention through the EDF. CARIFORUM has grown from a functional cooperation instrument to a forum for political dialogue among the Caribbean ACP states and contributed to the accession of Haiti into CARICOM (CARICOM has an economic integration focus) with the future adherence of the Dominican Republic also a possibility. The technical function of the CARIFORUM Secretariat is to be merged with the CARICOM Secretariat reflecting the importance attached by the CARIFORUM members to deeper regional political cooperation. The EU-LAC strategic partnership links together the EU’s relations with Latin America and the Caribbean and creates a comprehensive common platform for dialogue and cooperation on political and socio-economic issues. Since the first EU-LAC Summit in Rio in 1999, the Summits are key events in this partnership. The next EU-LAC Summit will take place in Vienna in May 2006. This strategic partnership offers significant opportunities for the Caribbean in their efforts to expand their relations to the wider Caribbean and Latin America. CARIFORUM, also including Cuba as a member, provides a useful platform for strategic political dialogue. The EU’s position on Cuba is governed by the Common Position adopted in 1996. The essence of the EU’s policy towards Cuba is based on constructive engagement in the political and economic arena. Although Cuba was being actively considered for accession to the Cotonou Agreement in 2003, political developments related to human rights put that process on hold and have severely strained relations between the two sides. The Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) are perhaps the most innovative element of the Cotonou Agreement. Caribbean ACP countries (with the exception of Cuba), have benefited from preferential market access to the EU under the Cotonou Agreement and its predecessors. However, trade preferences alone are not able to provide the development the region needs and the Caribbean share of EU trade has been in long run decline. Old style preferential schemes based on assistance to commodities such like bananas, sugar etc proved that they were not sustainable with international trade. In addition, liberalisation and trade are phasing out and redefining the rent-based structure of the economies in the Caribbean. In response to this, negotiations on an EPA with the Caribbean started on 16th April 2004 after over a year of ACP talks. The EPA process will build on the current preferences to support Caribbean regional integration processes and provide a rules based framework to help increase competitiveness, diversify exports and create regional markets. Together with the enhancement of trade capacity this new trade regime under the EPA will contribute to sustainable economic development. It will also facilitate adjustment, including its social dimension, to trade policy reforms. The EU is the biggest grant donor in the Caribbean, both at the national and regional level. The overall volume of all forms of European Community aid to the Caribbean since Lome III is estimated at € 2.800 Bn. The EU strongly supports regional integration in the Caribbean. Regional co-operation, since Lome III estimated at a total of € 331 M, has progressed steadily from simple projects benefiting two or three countries prior to 1990s, to functional cooperation between the entire CARIFORUM group of states aiming at building confidence and fuelling regionalism (1990 – 2000), to genuine regional integration programmes directly supporting CARICOM, and other regional institutions, and the completion of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy, since 2000. Total allocations on the individual Caribbean countries are around € 1.800 Bn for from Lomé III through to 2007, and have covered a wide range of areas. Levels of aid vary widely between countries with special emphasis on the poorer countries of the region and especially Haiti and Guyana. Substantial commodity related assistance has been provided to the region through the sugar, banana, rice and rum preferential arrangements, estimated at a total of € 649 M (Sugar € 19.477 M , Banana € 216 M, Rum € 70 M, Stabex € 209 M and Sysmin € 134 M)[20]. However, EC development cooperation has been hampered by a plethora of intervention sectors, funding instruments and small projects collectively taxing the limited implementation capacity of national and CARICOM/CARIFORUM institutions as well as that of EC competent services. Strategies implemented through structural measures such as Stabex and the Special Framework of Assistance to Traditional Banana Suppliers (SFA Budget line), were not always coherent with the support strategy of the National Indicative Programme (NIP) of the countries concerned nor were they sufficiently geared towards encouraging increased productivity and diversification. There was limited coherence between national and regional development programmes. The Cotonou Agreement, in spite of its substantial innovations, has not been able to sufficiently address the development cooperation bottlenecks and the streamlining of various instruments. Many of the European Member States have strong links with the region, and UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) is among one of the most active development partners in the region. In 2004 its estimated budget in the region was € 67 M and the main recipient countries included Montserrat, Jamaica and Guyana. A number of Caribbean countries such as Dominica, Haiti, Dominican Republic, St Lucia, Suriname and Cuba are benefiting from specific French development aid instruments . French cooperation has mainly been oriented towards economic and social infrastructure projects and the civil society. 90% of the development funds – approximately € 12 M/year- are channelled towards the so-called “Zone de Solidarité Prioritaire “ – Cuba, DR, Haiti and Suriname. The Federal Government of Germany is another important player in the region placing emphasis on poverty reduction, environmental and resource protection and modernisation of the government and society. The total budget in 2003 was estimated at € 35M. Main priority countries were Guyana, DR and Haiti. The Netherlands has also made contributions in the region, notably in Suriname where bi-lateral development ties date back to 1975. The Dutch government is its main donor and is mainly active in six sectors, in the field of good governance and in certain long-term projects. The total budget in 2003 was estimated at € 24 M. The main priority countries were Suriname, Jamaica and Haiti. Spain is also active in development cooperation with the Caribbean both at bi-lateral and regional levels. The total budget in 2004 was estimated at € 54 M. The main priority countries were DR, Cuba and Haiti. This listing is not considered exhaustive. European Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the region has always been significant. By the year 2003, the outward stock of European FDI in the Caribbean region, including Cuba, was estimated at € 13.7 Bn. 3. Challenges facing the Caribbean The special characteristics of the Caribbean contribute to the vulnerability of the region and present a certain number of interrelated political, economic and social challenges and opportunities. 4. The geo-political challenges At the EU-LAC summit in Rio in 1999, participating countries made a joint pledge to set up a strategic partnership with a view to forging links in the political, economic and social spheres. The Caribbean states are a part of that strategic partnership and have strong ties with Central America and South America, enshrined in various agreements and through their membership of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) Caribbean participation in broader hemispheric groupings, including CARIFORUM, the ACS and the FTAA, together with the creation of an EU- CARICOM free trade area and the EU-LAC strategic partnership will strongly reinforce the outward looking integration process which should lead to the eventual smooth integration of the region into the world economy. The CARICOM members and the Dominican Republic are all established democracies with accountable administrations, free press and stable institutions. Nevertheless a number of potential issues could overturn this perception of security and stability with severe implications on economic and social progress. Internal threats exist in the form of tensions between ethnic groups in some countries, economic downturn also causes social tension. Issues relating to unemployment, instability, drugs and related criminality and armed violence, small arms and light weapon trafficking all negatively impinge on the social fabric and the political life of the region. External threats exist from territorial and border disputes between some CARICOM member states and with some other neighbouring countries. The advent of globalisation fortifies the need for widening and deepening of the Caribbean Community itself and for the region to move towards a more outward looking relation with the Latin American continent. The influence of individual Caribbean states in international organisations and fora is also quite important. Cuba also plays an active role in the various international and regional fora. Although it is a full member of the United Nations, its role is limited by the fact that Cuba is not a member of several multilateral institutions such as the IMF, the WB, IDB (Inter American Development Bank) or the OAS (Organisation of American States). With Venezuela, Cuba is promoting a Latin American alliance, the Iniciativa Bolivariana para las Americas (ALBA) which is seen as an alternative to the US-backed Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA).While the FTAA seeks free trade across the Americas as a whole, the ALBA proposes full integration of Latin America only, including the elimination of trade barriers. The EU-LAC summits of Rio in 1999, Madrid in 2002 and Guadalajara in 2004 have contributed in further deepening the relations between the Latin America countries and the Caribbean. The well established relations of Dominican Republic, a CARIFORUM member, with Latin America countries are also an asset. Central and Latin America offer extensive opportunities for the Caribbean but are also competitors in some commodity sectors and there are cases of territorial disputes among countries of these regions. The EU-LAC Summit process could offer valuable opportunities for political dialogue and conflict prevention. An important challenge here is for the Caribbean to find the right balance in its relationships between its different hemispheric partners. Most of the Caribbean countries try to maintain well balanced relations with all big countries in the larger region where it geographically belongs. Given the differences that exist in the hemisphere, maintaining a balance respecting the interests of the very small islands states without excluding the regions from the major economic developments is a major challenge. In the longer term, the Caribbean has to carefully consider and prepare for the impact from the evolution of the situation in Cuba. 5. Economic challenges The average GDP per capita for Caribbean countries in 2005 was estimated at 3640 US$. There are however within the region significant differences between the countries and also significant inequalities in wealth distribution within the individual countries. The gap between the richest and the poorest countries has tended to widen over the last forty years and divergence in GDP per capita levels has been stronger between the Caribbean economies than the Latin American economies. Nevertheless, the Caribbean has an average income inequality, measured by the GINI Coefficient at 0.38 which is lower than in Latin America. Countries such as Haiti, Dominican Republic, and the small island communities of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda do however suffer from high levels of inequality than the average Caribbean State[21]. The insular nature of most of the Caribbean is perhaps the single most important factor creating limitations to the efforts of integration of many small economies in the region and also adversely affecting the cost of energy, transport, communications and trade. The Caribbean agricultural sector faces real challenges adjusting to structural changes in the global economy. Even before EU market reforms many traditional Caribbean exporters of rice, sugar, rum and bananas were structurally in long term decline under price pressure from more competitive suppliers, and this in spite of substantial EU aid and trade preferences. Preferential access to artificially high EU internal market prices is not a sustainable solution to problems of competitiveness, but the accelerating transition to a more diversified economy will be difficult. Diversification, particularly in rural areas, is a difficult challenge, and requires a progressive approach. New activities can be developed around the dominant sectors, while simultaneously, if relevant, reinforcing their competitiveness and resilience. According to the IMF, external current account deficits for the Caribbean are projected to worsen in the short term with the rise in oil prices and rising imports related to construction activity. Several countries are currently faced with macro-economic challenges, and fourteen Caribbean countries are among the thirty most indebted countries in the world. The Caribbean is the most tourism intensive region in the world. Direct and indirect impacts of tourism account for 18% of total GDP in the region. However, tourism has not created strong linkages within national economies. Tourism infrastructure is mostly foreign owned and investment is being driven by substantial financial and tax incentives granted by the individual countries in competition with one another. The efforts of several Caribbean countries to promote offshore financial centres have met with problems on two main accounts, namely unfair tax competition and lack of transparency in several areas, including taxation and security against money laundering operations. However, offshore business opportunities may still exist in other sectors. There are already several offshore medical schools in the Caribbean all geared to the US market. If adequately addressed offshore education should have the potential for further expansion. Given the geographically dispersed nature of the Caribbean region interconnection including air, sea and land transport, telecommunications and connectivity and energy networks is another crucial challenge in regional integration and economic cooperation but at present lack of progress in this sector constitutes a major constraint on economic growth[22]. The challenge of integrated regional markets is at the heart of the concept of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs). This process of integration and of fostering trade will continue to be accompanied by substantial and increasing support for building trade capacities and for the implementation of supply side reforms, as well as the promotion of customs and trade facilitation measures. The EPA will have to address key challenges such as the dependence of Governments on unpredictable tariff revenues and integration in a diverse region. These are not insignificant, but the alternative of increasing isolation from international markets is the far greater risk to development. In order to mitigate the differences of economic development that exist among the members of the CSME the region will benefit internally from a Special Development Fund, (SDF), operated by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the newly established Regional Development Fund ( RDF). The setting up of this fund aims at supporting development of the less prosperous countries and regions and innovative strategies to enhance regional competitiveness. The Caribbean Single Market component of the CSME was launched in January 2006 by six Caribbean States: Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago; the OECS countries are expected to join in the coming months. To come to grips with the changing international situation countries need to embark on structural reforms and socio-economic transition from their traditional sectors towards higher added value products and services. Several have already embarked or are considering programmes in public and fiscal sector reform, macroeconomic stabilisation programmes, economic diversification, more effective labour markets, enhanced competitiveness, and a move to services and knowledge based economies. All these require strategic planning and investment in many areas, including human resources, energy, and transport and telecommunications infrastructure. These reforms need to be intensified and speeded up or, current levels of development may be unsustainable, resulting in a slippage of some countries in the region from middle income to low income country status. The needs are large and beyond the capacity of individual governments and require external assistance. A regional approach is fundamental to dealing with these many challenges. 6. Social challenges Economic downturn is making some governments unable to continue delivering past levels of basic health and education services. Educational attainment is slowing in many islands and public services are deteriorating[23]. Human resources have always been considered as a very significant part of the region’s capital. Throughout the region the level of education, from primary education through to University level, has always been a source of pride. In recent years there are concerns of a decline in standards based in part on economic difficulties and on substantial migration of education professionals attracted by higher salaries in OECD countries. If the efforts to transform the economies of the region from primary commodities production to a diversified knowledge based services economy and if the private sector, both local and potential external investment, is to play its role as the motor of growth there will be an increasing need for a pool of high quality professionals. In this relation, it is important to remember that brain drain is also a major constraint on the region’s overall human resources situation. Unemployed is an endemic concern in the region and unemployment rates tend to be higher in the banana producing countries between 15% in Jamaica to more than 20% in the banana producing Windward Islands. One constraint in the regional approach is the diversity within the region. Three countries (Cuba, Dominican Republic and Haiti) account for 80% of the population and have very different development and political situations. With the exception of Guyana and Suriname, the countries are generally small, mostly island states with small open economies and located in disaster prone areas making them inherently vulnerable to man-made and natural shocks, both internal and external. Improved health care in particular HIV/AIDS is considered key to the region’s economic development, to its attempt to alleviate poverty and to achieve specific goals of public health reform and reaching the MDGs and other international development commitments. The disparities between countries and the levels of inequality within countries, including access to health care, points to the need to place emphasis on both the national and regional level. The upgrading of the health care services would also contribute to improve the competitiveness of the general tourism product, especially given the targeted high-end of the tourism market and the retiree group as an untapped, but promising expansion area. It should also be complementary to the international and national efforts to improve the social protection coverage of those excluded from existing systems. Drugs, associated crime and armed violence are vulnerabilities to be addressed as it threatens the political and social fabric of Caribbean society and hinders the creation of an environment conducive to investment and sustainable growth. The Caribbean is not a drug producing region at this time, but is considered an important transiting link for drugs. The Caribbean is considered more the gateway to drugs destined for Europe as against Central America for drugs to the US. In recent years a number of strategies to tackle these problems have been developed in the Caribbean, with US and EU support. The EU, Commission and a number of Member States, has been the main financier of the 1996 – 2001 Regional Plan of Action on Drugs Control - Barbados Plan of Action (BPA). Drugs are a major significant issue in the EU-LAC strategic partnership. The EU-LAC Co-ordination and Co-operation mechanism, based on the principles of shared responsibility, is a forum for dialogue and co-operation between the two regions on the problem of illicit drug production, consumption and trafficking. The regional authorities should increase their efforts to plan, co-ordinate, supervise and deliver training related to activities to reduce supply through institutional strengthening and capacity building. Activities could include, inter alia, legal, legislative and regulatory frameworks, intelligence sharing among law enforcement agencies, strengthening of institutions, maritime cooperation, police and judicial co-operation, combating money-laundering, the trafficking of small arms and light weapons and the control of precursors. 7. Natural Disasters and the Environment Vulnerability The Caribbean is currently faced with several structural environmental challenges such as climate change, and limited and fragile coastal, marine, biodiversity, land and freshwater resources. Nature is a blessing and a curse to the Caribbean region. The natural environment has contributed significantly to the prosperity of the agricultural sector and is at the base of the region’s comparative advantage in the tourism sector, where tourism actually is the product on offer. The vagaries of nature, however, in the form of hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic activity and tidal waves, make the region one of the most disaster prone areas in the world, entailing high economic and social costs. The Caribbean is twelve times as exposed to disasters as the world average. The Eastern Caribbean countries are among the ten most disaster prone countries in the world. The impact of natural disasters on small island states is devastating as in the case of Grenada where the impact of Hurricane Ivan was estimated at 200% of GDP as compared to 2% average of natural disasters elsewhere in the world. Land is certainly one of the most limited resources in the Caribbean. It is therefore the subject of intense pressures from human activities. Poor land use and land management as well as increasing conflicts for the access to land (for agriculture, urbanization or other activities) have led to the degradation of this resource. Erosion and land degradation are particularly severe in coastal areas and in areas formerly covered by forests. Deforestation has been intense in the region and forests now only cover less than 20% of total land area. The ever increasing demand for wood for energy, housing, or timber exportation, or for land, maintains a high pressure on the remaining forests. The Caribbean region is also particularly rich in biodiversity, with many endemic species. Local conservation initiatives do exist, but regional action is needed if biodiversity loss is to be reduced. Land, forests, biodiversity: all are resources which are under further threat from climate change. Climate change may have an effect on the vegetation cover, on the degradation of land or on the coral reefs and marine resources, therefore affecting agriculture, fishing and even tourism. Its potential effects on these important sectors for the local economies may have a devastating impact on local fragile economies. Sea level rise is also threatening coastal areas, and estimates varying from 30 to 50 cm rise over the next 50 years are commonly accepted. Climate variability is also higher now and has led to more severe extreme climatic events like hurricanes and tropical storms. Water resources are also under heavy pressure. The development of tourism and of modern agriculture has led to over-extraction of water. Some Caribbean States are far below the limit of 1000 m3 of available water per capita per year, under which countries are considered as “water scarce”. Careful and sustainable management of this resource is thus an absolute necessity and needs to be actively promoted. Due to the limited size of their economy and their available land, waste management is usually a critical issue in the Caribbean states. Goods are imported with their package which remains on the island. The increasing share of non-biodegradable waste makes it more difficult to set up sustainable waste management schemes. A great challenge also lies in the way the region can handle the problem of hazardous waste and toxic chemicals. Sustainability of the tourism-based growth is fragile, because it is often affected by events outside the region and beyond its control. In only a few hours, one hurricane can wipe out the entire tourism industry of one or more small islands. It is also increasingly being challenged by concerns over the conservation of the environment, by the need to upgrade available health care facilities as well as by insecurity related to drugs, drugs related crime and armed violence. 8. The EU Strategy EU – Caribbean relations have suffered from a combination of factors: conflicting urgent and shifting international priorities and demands on both sides, the changing conditions surrounding commodities of interest to the region including sugar, bananas, rice and rum and difficulties in the implementation of aid. The EU’s overarching development objective is to assist all the countries in the region to achieve their long term development goals in a self sustaining manner. This includes the generalized achievement of MDGs and poverty reduction, the consolidation and building upon the region’s Human Development achievements and the ambition expressed by some of the Caribbean MICs to join the ranks of the developed states by 2020, at the expiry of the current Cotonou Agreement. The specific identity and characteristics of the Caribbean region, its prominent role within the ACP group of states and its attachment to the Cotonou Agreement, constitute the basis of its special relationship with the EU and the need for a specific policy approach. The objectives will be achieved through a new enhanced EU – Caribbean Partnership composed of three interrelated facets, shaping political partnership, addressing socio- economic and environmental vulnerabilities and combating poverty, inequality, HIV/AIDS and drugs . Given the EU’s position a major donor in the region, aid effectiveness will be addressed as a cross cutting issue. 9. Shaping political partnership based on shared values For the EU it is important that the Caribbean region remains attached to the values that it shares with the EU and does not slip, through benign neglect and economic difficulties, into a pole of insecurity and instability. A strong political partnership with the EU, founded on a genuine political dialogue will help strengthen the Caribbean’s position on the international scene, and offer opportunities for collaboration in the UN and other international fora on issues of common interest. Enhanced political dialogue is also a key to increasing the confidence between the EU and its ACP partners needed to underpin the move towards greater budget and sector support financing and away from the traditional project approach. Regional integration and the forging of alliances with other regions in the wider Caribbean, including the EU’s French Departments and UK and Netherlands OCTs constitute key priorities of the region. The EU is not only a donor of development aid, but also a political and commercial partner, and its relations with its Caribbean partners should include broad, concrete and constructive political dialogue. Political dialogue is also a cornerstone of the EU – LAC strategic partnership. The EU is a strong international partner which can help the Caribbean Region consolidate its position within the multilateral system and offer an extra dimension to the close links the region enjoys with North America. While individual countries have specific needs and national development policies, growing regionalism in the Caribbean confirms the recognition that many common problems are best dealt at the regional level. - CARICOM is considered the strongest manifestation of regional integrationist will at the political level in the Caribbean. - CARIFORUM is considered the EU’s main intermediary for the wider level of political dialogue and functional co-operation in the region. The upcoming fusion of the Technical functions of the CARIFORUM Secretariat with the CARICOM Secretariat will ensure an enhanced cooperation and coordination between the two entities. Therefore, EU Political dialogue should be pursued at the CARIFORUM/ CARICOM level and the annual EC-CARIFORUM ministerial meeting should be enhanced and broadened to cover issues beyond the narrow purview of regional cooperation. The Caribbean has embarked on a path of regional integration, wider regional cooperation, and economic diversification, restructuring and reform, as a means towards harnessing the opportunities and minimising the negative effects of globalisation on its small and currently vulnerable states and as a way to achieve the Caribbean peoples’ high aspirations of human development. National Governments, civil society, private enterprise and regional structures in the Caribbean will obviously carry the responsibility for shaping their own future. Based on a shared vision of the future, and through an enhanced political partnership and the support of actions to address the region’s vulnerabilities and to promote social cohesion and combat poverty, the EU will be a steadfast partner for the Caribbean in its efforts. The EU will also continue and enhance its support to other regional institutions linked to CARICOM[24] and promote policies that will encourage the integration of these institutions as an integral part of the political environment of CARICOM member states. The EU will support the enlargement of CARICOM to include other Caribbean states. Already the DR is considering its participation in the CSME which could lead eventually to full membership of CARICOM. The long term position vis-à-vis Cuba will depend, among other considerations, on the pace of transition in that country. Beyond the issue of Cuba, political dialogue will focus on wide ranging issues, including conflict prevention in Haiti and Guyana. The Presidential and Parliamentary elections of the 7th of February 2006 in Haiti are an encouraging step in the direction of the establishment of the democratic life of this country. The EU will support the region’s own stated policy of widening its links to its hemispheric neighbours within the Caribbean, and in Central and Latin America. - The opportunities for political dialogue offered by the ACS are also to be considered, especially given the particular status of a number of EU Member states in that body. - The bi-annual EU-LAC Summit is a major opportunity for EU-Caribbean political dialogue and substantial efforts should be addressed at maximising the benefits from the evolving relationship between the Caribbean and its geographical neighbours. The biannual EU-LAC Summits are key events. They play a vital role in relations between the regions and are a unique opportunity to move forward on issues of common interest. For the forthcoming Vienna Summit of 12 May 2006, the EU considers that the topics covered by the Guadalajara declaration – social cohesion, regional integration, multilateralism – remain important, but need to be fleshed out further. The EU also welcomes the organization of a business forum and encourages social partners and civil society to contribute to the Summit. Security, stability and conflict prevention are essential prerequisites for sustainable development. Security has become a major priority worldwide in recent times as many countries have been victims of terror attacks. Ensuring security and the rule of law, with equity, justice and full respect for human rights, are now fully recognised as fundamental, shared priorities. The EU and the Caribbean should cooperate in addressing security threats, including non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery (WMD), trafficking and spread of illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), illicit drugs trafficking and combating terrorism. They should cooperate to reinforce the role of the UN in the multilateral fight against terrorism, including through the full implementation of relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and the UN Convention on Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, while ensuring respect for human rights in this context. The EU should increasingly use regional and national development strategies and instruments to address the root-causes of conflict, including poverty, inequality and lack of social cohesion degradation of and access to already scarce natural resources, ethnic and political violence, weak governance, human rights abuses and gender inequality. Especially in certain fragile states a culture of conflict prevention needs to be developed and fostered. Conflict prevention is an implicit element in regional integration and co-operation, through awareness of common interest and mutual confidence-building. Regional institutions contribute to structure the dialogue and interaction among members, acting as a peer pressure mechanism. CARICOM has initiatives on the political front, such as electoral monitoring and special missions for the resolution of political issues[25]. The EU will support these efforts and other bilateral initiatives at conflict resolutions such as the DR-Haiti talks. The EU is a strong international voice in democratic process and has developed specific expertise in election observation. This tool will be used wherever necessary in the Caribbean region as a means of conflict prevention. Good and effective governance is also recognised as a crucial prerequisite for sustainable development. Central to good and effective governance is the strengthening of credible institutions – such as parliaments, the judiciary system or public financial management and statistical systems – both at national and regional level. The EU will support institutional capacity building efforts. Governance, however, is not only about institutions, but also about appropriate policies and adequate legal and regulatory frameworks and effective involvement of civil society including social partners. The EU should therefore continue to promote transparency and effective exchange of information between authorities in order to prevent and combat corporate and financial malpractices and corruption. It should in particular encourage transparency in the financial and banking sectors, as well as administrative and judicial cooperation permitting effective exchange of information. The EU should sustain and accelerate the process of ratification of the UN Convention against Corruption, a central part of which is the requirement that countries confiscate and repatriate illicit assets, and uphold the UN Convention against International Organised Crime. Moreover the EU should encourage the adoption and implementation of international standards relating to the fight against money laundering, terrorism, tax fraud and tax avoidance. The EU also encourages its international partners to sign and implement the main international instruments of crime prevention, like the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its protocols and the UN Convention against Corruption. The EU should also address the limited institutional and technical capacity of Caribbean countries to deal with organized crime and drugs in an effective and comprehensive manner, through the development of internal strategies as well as capacity building. The EU should also continue to promote human rights and equal opportunities and protect vulnerable groups, especially women. The EU will support gender mainstreaming and initiatives on gender equality in order to contribute to the implementation of the commitments in the MDGs, the Beijing Platform for Action, the Cairo Programme of Action and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. ACP/DOM/OCT Cooperation: The Caribbean ACPs, the French DOMs and the UK and Netherlands OCTs are part of the same region and have several converging interests. EU policy is to ensure closer cooperation and policy dialogue between these different entities in the field of trade but also in other areas of common interest, such as migration, transport, ICT, education, environmental issues, risk prevention, health, justice and security. Both Cotonou, EU Member State national legislation[26] and the Overseas Association Decision create a favourable environment supporting such a policy dialogue, yet so far there has been little progress in activating it. In 2005, the first Clovis Beauregard Conference was held in Martinique, co-sponsored by the European Commission, to promote ACP/DOM/OCT cooperation. This is a concrete step that should be encouraged in the future. Therefore and during the next funding period, efforts will be undertaken to co-ordinate ERDF and EDF financing. Specific funding will be allocated for the cooperation between the DOM and the ACP/OCT from the ERDF, in the framework of the new objective “Territorial Co-operation”, and from the EDF, respectively. As regards to EPAs and despite their different institutional situation, the French outermost regions show a growing interest in participating in the benefits of the agreement as another partner in the region. 10. Addressing economic and environmental opportunities and vulnerabilities Economically the long term vision is of a region that has achieved a fully integrated economy with strong links to its wider geographic context and beyond. In an increasingly interdependent and globalised world, a major objective of EU development policy is to assist developing countries to better harness the globalisation process, by maximising the benefits derived and minimising the negative impacts. In the particular case of the Caribbean, this primarily means to contribute to their efforts on structural reforms and economic transition from their traditional sectors towards higher added value products and services and to come to grips with the changing international situation. Regional integration will increasingly represent a privileged area of future cooperation, where the European Union has a major role to play given its own historic experience. EU will strongly support the completion and operation of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) as an essential element of regional integration and for the establishment of the Economic Partnership Agreement with the EU. The recent openness of the Dominican Republic to become a member of the CSME even though it is not a full member of CARICOM represents perhaps another opportunity for the EU to assist the region in creating the conditions for such a major and challenging integration milestone to succeed. The EU will contribute to strengthening and streamlining of existing regional institutions and organs in view of guaranteeing the smooth operation of the single market. The introduction of the single market by several CARICOM member states in January 2006 and the prospective for the rest of the CARICOM member states to join in the near future creates favourable conditions for a privileged partnership-based relationship between the European Community and CARICOM. Secondment of experts from Member States and European institutions to help address institutional functioning as well as other concrete technical aspects of regional integration, such as customs and trade facilitations measures, could be an area of future regional cooperation. The Special Development Fund (SDF), the main home grown development instrument of the region based within the CDB, and the new Regional Development Fund could be natural partners of the EU regional development assistance in the Caribbean. These solidarity based regional level funds could also be important instruments for the EU to channel its future assistance and reinforce the integration process. The timely conclusion of the EPAs process is a strategic area of importance to the future of the Caribbean region. A well defined and credible integration agenda and functioning internal market are the necessary pillars for a successful outcome of the EPA negotiations.This integration process is of strategic importance to the future of the economy of the Caribbean region. The development dimension should be further strengthened so as to better help the Caribbean region achieve strategic targets of global competitiveness. The EPA, which will properly take account of existing asymmetries between the two areas, shall allow the region to maintain and even improve its access to the EU market. The EU’s policy will be to further strengthen the development dimension of EPAs so as to better help the Caribbean region achieve their strategic targets of global competitiveness. As it enters its third phase, the EU will intensify its support to the EPA process so as to make sure that an agreement is concluded by 2007. In this context, it will promote progressive integration of financial markets as well as the development of an appropriate regulatory framework based on transparency. Trade related assistance is being provided to the Caribbean to strengthen in-country and regional trade policy and negotiation capacity, to assist countries with the negotiation and implementation of the WTO agreements and EPAs, as well as other concurrent trade negotiations. The removal of current barriers to intra-regional trade and investment and the establishment of more stable, transparent and predictable rules and reliable institutions will contribute significantly to the growth of national and regional economies. In order to be able to benefit more from increased opportunities to trade and to ensure that benefits from increased trade are distributed more evenly, trade needs to be better integrated into national development strategies and in particular into poverty reduction strategies. The EU should assist the region in this process so as to enable Caribbean governments to effectively use trade as a policy tool to reduce poverty. The EU strongly encourages and supports efforts to expand trade and economic links to the wider Caribbean region and notably the French DOMs and the UK and NL OCTs, and to Central and Latin America. Programmes for the restructuring of traditional sectors and enhancing competitiveness and promoting economic diversification have been put in place for bananas, rice, rum and sugar. In its proposal for reform, the Commission committed itself to accompanying the adaptation process required in those countries. In this context a Regulation on “Establishing Accompanying Measures for Sugar Protocol Countries Affected by the Reform of the EU Sugar Regime” was adopted in 2005, outlining actions to be funded under the budget 2006-2013. Support will be provided on the basis of National Adaptation Strategies, prepared by the Sugar Protocol countries. Foreseen measures could include: (i) Supporting sustainable improvement of the competitiveness of the cane sector, (ii) Promoting diversification of sugar dependent areas (iii) Addressing broader adaptation needs, including mitigation of social impacts. Key to the successful mitigation of exogenous economic shocks is comprehensive national strategies for restructuring and recovery including the social dimension, fully embedded within overall national and regional development strategies. Such national and regional strategies for reform should accommodate the provision of EU aid through general or sectoral budget support at regional and national level. This would further strengthen national and regional institutions as well as democratic accountability. It would also reinforce coherence in strategic planning and programming and coordination of the development cooperation between the European Community, CARICOM and the individual countries. Support should be provided to the civil society and the non-state actors (NSA). Support will mainly be aimed at enhancing the capacity building efforts of the civil society and the non-state actors including social partners. Support should be provided to the private sector and especially small and medium size enterprises that are expected to be the driving force behind sustainable growth and job creation. EU Research and Development Policy: The EU Research Framework Programmes encourage international cooperation with Caribbean countries and value the potential to reinforce the partnership with that region. Caribbean countries will benefit from new mechanisms which are being put in place under the 7th EU Research Framework Programme (2007-2013) such as exchange of researchers and coordination of the bi-lateral cooperation programmes vis-à-vis EU Member States and Third Countries. Moreover, Science and Technology Promotion Platforms recently launched with Latin-America and the Caribbean region will further develop these possibilities in a wide regional context. The EU has supported in the past and will continue its support if required to the CARTAC, the Caribbean Technical Assistance Centre, spearheaded by the IMF, which provides technical assistance on economic and fiscal reform. The EIB which has a solid track record of development activities in the region should also continue its activities in support of regional integration, private sector and the socio-economic infrastructure in the Caribbean. Interconnection, whether in the form of air, sea and land transportation is a major element in regional integration and cooperation. The EU has a history of support to the sector of regional transport through the funding of airports, ports, maritime transport, roads and through support to institutional aspects of the transport sector. Interconnectivity programmes, possibly linking with existing programmes in the DOMs and in Latin America will be encouraged. EU policy will be to continue its support in the area of interconnection, including infrastructure, to encourage the efforts of the individual countries and of the region to enhance their intra-region transport, ensure the closer coordination of their transport policies and liberalise the air transport sector. Support will also be considered in the areas of energy interconnection, including grid-access to electricity from renewable energy sources and of energy efficiency e.g. by cutting systems losses. Helping the Caribbean region in their efforts to come to grips with the changing international situation and with the need to embark on structural reforms and economic transition from their traditional sectors towards higher added value products and services is a key objective. In order to achieve this goal, the Caribbean must modernise their states, redefine their overall public sector, reform their government finances, reduce dependence upon import revenues and enhance competitiveness to improve the investment climate so as to create the conditions of sustainable and jobs creating growth. Key to successful socio-economic transition is the establishment and effective implementation of national long term strategies by the region and the Governments of the Caribbean states. These National strategies must be the basis for all donor cooperation on the regional and national level. All EU aid, irrespective of source or instrument, will be committed in full coherence with national development strategies. For EC development aid this will apply to 10th EDF development cooperation as well as all commodity specific instruments, including but not limited to sugar and bananas, and STABEX. The EU will continue and strengthen its support to the sectors of Environmental Management and Natural Disaster Management, with emphasis on climate change adaptation and mitigation, early warning, prevention, recovery and rehabilitation. The EU will support the current efforts of the Caribbean to engage into a proactive agenda to jointly manage structural environmental challenges such as climate change, chemicals and wastes, as well as limited and fragile coastal, marine, biodiversity, land and freshwater resources. Institutional and legislative framework improvement, capacity building and civil society and local population’s involvement will form part of the strategy. Cooperation in international fora relative to climate change and environmental management will be enhanced. EU support to the tourism sector must also incorporate the environmental dimension and particularly waste management and coastal zone development. The EU has supported the creation of environmentally managed areas such as the Iwokrama project in Guyana and national parks creation in Grenada, Dominica and elsewhere. The EDF funded Caribbean Regional Environment Programme with the Caribbean Environment Corporation aimed at strengthening of regional capacity in conservation, management and sustainable development of regional amenity areas (marine, terrestrial, watersheds), illustrated that institutional weaknesses exist in regional bodies which need to be addressed. The EU will therefore also contribute to the building of institutional capacity for environmental management. CARIFORUM could be supported to train adequate numbers of professionals, to develop a regional action plan, to adopt common approaches to natural resource management, global warming and climate change, to strengthen regional institutional capacities and promote the sustainable use of its biodiversity for commercial purposes. Environmentally friendly renewable energies could offer the Caribbean much in terms of enhancing the environment but also in economic terms. The EU will promote the pursuit of opportunities in the renewable energies sector, including the promotion of cooperation within the wider Caribbean region and the sharing of best practices and knowhow amongst partner countries. In the second half of 2006 the Finnish presidency of the EU will in the context of the Energy and Environment Partnership with Central America (EPP) organise a conference under the name "European Union Meets Latin America on Renewable Energies" in which the EU will strongly support active Caribbean participation. The Energy sector in the Caribbean will be eligible for support from the Energy facility, and particular emphasis will be placed on promoting renewable energies. The EU will contribute significantly to increase the region’s capacity in Natural Disaster Management at all levels, with emphasis on risk reduction, preparedness, early warning, prevention, mitigation and recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction. Early warning, especially in the case of hurricanes, is technically feasible and the region’s capacity has been enhanced through the 8th EDF Radar Warning System (€13.2 million, 2003-06). This programme will contribute to mitigate the economic, social and environmental losses arising from adverse weather conditions, to improve weather data for sensitive productive activities and to develop early warning and public awareness systems. The EU will assist the Caribbean region in developing and implementing its strategy for a comprehensive disaster management plan. Such a plan must be holistic in scope also covering issues such as building codes, insurance, rapid response mechanisms including in the area of public security, telecommunications etc. Support will give continuity to the programmes developed by ECHO, through the DIPECHO programme, and earlier EDF funding in association with CDERA and other strategic partners. DIPECHO (Disaster Preparedness ECHO) has been contributing to the improvement of capacity in the protection and preparedness of communities at risk, with focus on the interrelationship of the various levels of action (local, provincial, national and regional) and on initiatives that can be reproducing, and on the co-ordination of donor efforts. Cross fertilisation of best practices with the French DOM and other EU OCTs, will be strongly supported. The EU will seek means of streamlining responses to natural disasters. Emergency aid through international partners is immediately allocated and rapidly delivered, however, the phase of rehabilitation, recovery and reconstruction requires strengthening. New and faster disbursing arrangements will be actively considered within a pre-committed financing arrangement. Regional approaches to Natural Disaster Management are an imperative in the Caribbean. The size of most countries is such that disasters can affect over 90% of the country, as in the recent case of Grenada, necessitating immediate external assistance from the region. Natural Disaster Management was one of the four priority areas retained for Caribbean ACP/OCT/DOM co-operation.. Exchanges of experience and know-how with countries of the wider Caribbean, notably Cuba, will also be actively promoted in the context of regional cooperation. The EU Natural Disaster Facility that has been decided in 2005 and which will be a part of the 10th EDF development finance arrangements of the Cotonou Agreement will be a major step, particularly in addressing the area of preparedness. Bridging funding has been agreed to cover the period until the coming into force of the new funding and to assist in the design of the facility itself. 11. Promoting Social Cohesion and Combating Poverty Tackling the major vulnerabilities in the Caribbean region will help the countries to both improve their economic competitiveness and ensure a better socio-economic cohesion. The EU’s overarching development objective is to assist all the countries in the region to achieve their long term development goals in a self sustaining manner. This includes the generalized achievement of MDGs and poverty reduction, reversing the trend of HIV/AIDS prevalence, the consolidation and building upon the region’s Human Development achievements and the ambition expressed by some of the Caribbean MICs to join the ranks of the developed states by 2020, at the expiry of the current Cotonou Agreement. Support to the efforts of the individual Caribbean states and of the region to tackle HIV/AIDS as well as other important endemic health problems in the region, including malaria, dengue fever, acquired diabetes and cardiovascular problems, is a political priority of EU development cooperation. The EU will support interventions for health by strengthening health systems, with special emphasis on human resources, and by increasingly working through sector wide approaches and sector budget support. The EU is supporting the replenishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria with a view to maximising benefits for developing countries. In addition, the EU is contributing to the development of new drugs and vaccines against communicable diseases, inter alia through the European and Developing countries Clinical Trials Partnerships (EDCTP). In response to the Council’s request[27], the Commission will, together with the Member States, develop a roadmap on possible joint action based on the European Programme for Action to confront HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis[28]. The EU will, in this context, promote synergies and provide a coherent and coordinated response to the three diseases across relevant policy areas[29]. In this sense, the Commission has adopted a Communication on combating HIV/AIDS within the European Union and the Neighbouring countries. [30] The EU has been at the forefront of international efforts to ensure access to essential medicines for developing countries. These efforts contributed to the adoption of the Doha Declaration on TRIPs and public health in November 2001, which confirms the right of WTO members to use flexibilities in the TRIPs Agreement, including issuing compulsory licenses of pharmaceutical products, for reasons of public health. The EU will also support a better linkage between the fight against communicative diseases and the strengthening of health services with special attention to vulnerable groups. The EU will support the regionalisation of co-operation in health services. There are already examples of a regional approach to the health sectors within for example the OECS where there is a joint pharmaceuticals procurement programme aiming at economies of scale and the new St Lucia Hospital is intended to provide certain specialities for the sub region. This is also the case with certain other medical facilities in the region and in the French DOM. EU support will be focused on the development and implementation of regional and national strategies addressing both the supply and demand reduction aspects of the problem and the associated issues of drugs related crime. It is necessary to strengthen regional co-ordination of the various drug control programmes by reinforcing relevant, sustainable regional institutions. Long-term objectives are to ensure full integration of drug-related policies into regional development strategies as well as into the social, economic and political fabric of the Caribbean. With respect to demand reduction, the EU will support the region’s efforts to increase levels of epidemiological surveillance, specialised training of professionals, revise national and regional action plans, place priority on public health, education and research, link treatment and law enforcement, provide specialised training and develop national and regional institutional capacities, and co-ordination of demand reduction projects. Regional capacity in drugs control will be developed, enabling the regional institutions to plan, co-ordinate and monitor demand reduction efforts throughout the region. On the supply side the EU will support the region’s efforts to deepen its involvement in the international coordination against drugs trafficking, improve regional capacities to disrupt flows, increase regional co-operation, expand regional co-ordination in anti-money laundering and provide specialised training and institutional capacity development. Increased co-ordination and co-operation with Latin American and other countries and regions are key to the success of efforts in the area of drugs. Full engagement by all partners in the Co-ordination and Co-operation Mechanism on Drugs between the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean will facilitate the achievement of this objective. The EU has long played an important role in supporting education in the Caribbean, especially at secondary, tertiary and University level. This co-operation will continue and be enhanced. The successful EU-supported Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) programme of harmonisation of secondary level education qualifications will be supported in its ongoing extension beyon