Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Elements for a new partnership between the EU and the overseas countries and territories (OCTs)
Date: 2009-11-06
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: association agreement (EU), competitiveness, development aid, economic development, international trade, overseas countries and territories

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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 6.11.2009 
COM(2009) 623 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Elements for a new partnership between the EU and the overseas countries and 
territories (OCTs) 

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1. 

INTRODUCTION 

The  Overseas  Countries  and  Territories1  (OCTs)  are  associated  with  the  European 
Community  through  a  regime  based  on  the  provisions  of  Part  IV  of  the  EC  Treaty  and  the 
detailed rules and procedures laid down at present in the Overseas Association Decision of 27 
November 20012. However, this Council Decision of 2001 is based on an approach analogous 
to that for cooperation between the EU and the ACP states, despite the significant differences 
between the ACP states and today’s OCTs. In order to launch an open discussion on the case 
for replacing this approach by one that is tailored to the OCTs’ specific needs, their potential 
and their unique relationship with the EU, the Commission adopted a Green Paper on future 
relations between the EU and the OCTs on 25 June 20083. 

The present Communication provides an overview of the outcome of the public consultation 
launched by this Green Paper and sets out the Commission’s standpoint on essential elements 
for  a  new  partnership  between  the  EU  and  the  OCTs  which  should  guide  further  work,  in 
2011-2012,  on  replacing  the  current  Overseas  Association  Decision  when  it  expires  on  31 
December 2013. 

In  the  Commission's  view,  the  special  relationship  between  the  EU  and  the  OCTs  should 
move  away  from  a  classic  development  cooperation  approach  to  a  reciprocal  partnership  to 
support the OCTs’ sustainable development and promote the EU’s values and standards in the 
wider world. Taking into account the feedback received in response to the public consultation, 
particular  from  the  OCTs  and  the  four  Member  States  to  which  they  are  linked  (Denmark, 
France,  the  Netherlands  and  the  United  Kingdom),  the  Commission  believes  that  the  focus 
should be on strengthening the OCTs’ competitiveness and resilience, as well as cooperation 
with other partners, all while taking due account of the OCTs’ diversity.  

2. 

PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON FUTURE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE EU AND THE OCTS 

The Green Paper launched a public consultation that ran from 1 July to 17 October 20084, and 
the Commission organised a stakeholder conference in Brussels on 3 October 20085 to present 
the issues raised in the Green Paper. Moreover, the Commission, the OCTs and the Member 
States to which the OCTs are linked discussed the Green Paper at the annual OCT Forum on 
28 and 29 November 20086. 

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The  countries  and  territories  in  question  are  listed  in  Annex  II  to  the  EC  Treaty.  However,  the 
arrangements for association have never been applied to Bermuda in accordance with the wishes of the 
Government of Bermuda. 
Council  Decision  2001/822/EC  of  27  November  2001,  OJ  L  314,  30.11.2001,  p.  1.  Decision  last 
amended by Council Decision 2007/249/EC (OJ L 109, 26.4.2007, p. 33). 
COM(2008) 383 final. 
http://ec.europa.eu/development/how/consultation/index.cfm?action=viewcons&id=3841 
http://ec.europa.eu/development/geographical/regionscountries/regionscountriesocts_en.cfm 
http://ec.europa.eu/development/geographical/regionscountries/regionscountriesoctsforum_en.cfm 

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The contributions received in response to the Green Paper, as well as the discussions during 
the stakeholder conference and the 2008 OCT Forum, revealed a broad consensus between the 
parties  directly  concerned  on  a  number  of  general  issues7.  A  common  opinion  is  that  the 
current  anti-poverty  focus  in  the  relations  between  the  EU  and  the  OCTs  no  longer 
corresponds to the reality in the field and should be replaced by a new approach. The unique 
relationship between the OCTs and the EU should be the cornerstone of such a new logic. It 
should  take  due  account  of  the  OCTs’  specificities,  in  particular  their  economic  and  social 
development, diversity and vulnerability, as well as their environmental importance. It should 
also  aim  to  strengthen  their  resilience  and  enhance  their  competiveness,  especially  in  the 
regions where they are located. One key message is that the OCTs, as outposts of Europe all 
over the world, should be seen as assets for the EU and not a burden. 

Many contributions stressed that the solidarity between the EU and the OCTs should be based 
on the fact that all inhabitants of the OCTs are in principle8 EU citizens, as nationals of the 
related  Member  States,  and  on  the  close  links  resulting  from  common  history  and 
constitutional traditions. They argue that the new association should focus on the potential of 
the  OCTs,  while  addressing  their  vulnerability,  rather  than  the  fight  against  poverty. 
According to some contributions, this also means that the OCTs should not be ‘worse off’ in 
the future in terms of Community financial assistance, and that the OCTs’ access to funding 
in general should be facilitated. 

Furthermore, the public consultation confirmed  the OCTs’  challenges and  potential from an 
environmental point of view, and the mutual interests of the EU and the OCTs in this field. 
Many contributions demonstrate the importance of the OCTs and their rich biodiversity as a 
global  environmental  heritage.  They  also  suggest  that  the  OCTs  could  usefully  be  seen  as 
laboratories  for  examining  the  impacts  of  climate  change  or  as  testing  grounds  for 
environmental  pilot  projects.  A  large  number  of  stakeholders  suggested  making  available 
specific  —  and  additional  —  resources  for  environmental  protection  in  the  OCTs,  the  fight 
against climate change and disaster risk reduction.  

There is a general demand for more ‘partnership’ between the EU and the OCTs, but only a 
few  contributions  provide  input  on  the  actual  responsibilities  that  this  should  entail  for  the 
OCTs themselves. On the other hand, a lot of reactions call for the OCTs to be taken better 
into account and even involved more directly in EU policy-making in areas that are likely to 
affect them. 

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Without prejudice to the particularities of each contribution, which are not analysed individually in the 
present Communication. 
Accordingly  to  Article  17  of  the  EC  Treaty,  every  person  holding  the  nationality  of  a  Member  State 
shall be a citizen of the Union. As a matter of fact, all nationals of Greenland, and the French and the 
Dutch OCTs also have the nationality of the related Member States automatically and are therefore EU 
citizens. As from 21 May 2002, the citizens of all the British OCTs are also British citizens, but they 
can renounce it in favour of remaining British overseas territories citizens only.  

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Several contributions point to the need for supporting the OCTs to become more competitive, 
for  example  through  the  creation  of  centres  of  excellence,  the  reinforcement  of  regional 
cooperation and integration, strengthening of the role that OCTs could play as outposts of the 
EU  in  their  respective  regions,  the  simplification  of  rules  of  origin  and  sanitary  and 
phytosanitary  requirements  for  import  into  the  Community,  etc.  Notwithstanding  the 
importance  attached  to  regional  cooperation,  it  appears  that  the  degree  of  an  OCT’s 
participation  in  regional  integration  processes,  where  possible,  depends  on  the  actual 
advantages this would bring for each partner. 

Nearly  all  contributions  call  for  a  new  framework  able  to  take  due  account  of  the  OCTs’ 
diversity. In particular with regard to trade issues, the different situations in which OCTs find 
themselves  are  highlighted.  Consequently,  there  is  a  strong  demand  for  more  flexibility  to 
address  an  OCT’s  specific  challenges.  However,  several  contributions  calling  for  greater 
diversification  underline  at  the  same  time  the  importance  of  maintaining  a  coherent  overall 
framework for all OCTs.  

3. 

A NEW PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE EU AND THE OCTS 

In keeping with the purpose of the association of the OCTs with the Community under Article 
182 of the EC Treaty, the logic of the 2001 Overseas Association Decision now needs to be 
replaced  with  a  more  contemporary  approach,  in  particular  taking  due  account  of  the 
consensus in the OCTs and the Member States to which they are linked on the idea that the 
solidarity  between  the  EU  and  the  OCTs  should  be  based  on  their  unique  relationship  and 
their belonging to the same ‘European family’.  

In  this  respect,  the  Commission  takes  the  view  that  the  overall  rationale  of  the  association 
should be to ensure the OCTs’ sustainable development, as well as to help promote the EU’s 
values and standards in the wider world. On the one hand, the necessary solidarity from the 
EU towards the OCTs’ inhabitants —in principle European citizens as nationals of the related 
Member States — implies that the EU should promote the OCTs’ sustainable development, in 
its  economic,  social  and  environmental  dimensions.  On  the  other  hand,  this  special 
relationship as well as the OCTs’ location all over the globe can also make their association 
with the EU into a privileged channel to promote the EU’s values and standards on as wide a 
geographical  basis  as  possible.  The  Commission  thus  believes  that  the  future  relationship 
should be more reciprocal, based on mutual interests. 

Mindful  of  this  new  rationale,  the  future  association  should  aim  to  enhance  the  OCTs’ 
competitiveness, strengthen their resilience and promote cooperation between the OCTs and 
other  partners  in  the  regions  where  they  are  located,  in  the  EU  and  beyond.  This  no  longer 
requires a relationship between donor and aid partner as is the case today, but calls for a new 
framework of cooperation. 

In  this  regard,  the  Community’s  internal  policies  and  in  particular  its  regional  policy  offer 
interesting  examples.  This  does  not  mean  that  these  policies  or  parts  of  them  should  be 
applied as such to the OCTs, or that the OCTs should be brought within the scope of these 
policies. Instead, the detailed rules and procedures for the  association of the OCTs with the 
Community  after  2013  should  continue  to  be  based  on  Article  187  of  the  EC  Treaty,  but 
should draw inspiration from successful formulae followed in implementing the Community’s 
internal policies.  

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In this respect, it is particularly relevant that the Community’s regional policy applies to each 
and  every  one  of  the  271  regions  of  the  EU,  in  the  sense  that  it  constitutes  a  single  policy 
framework,  but  is  capable  of  catering  for  the  huge  diversity  of  these  regions.  Moreover, 
special attention should be paid to the EU’s strategy towards the Outermost Regions, which is 
the result of a global and coherent approach across all Community policies. 

The  evolution  of  the  current  relationship  between  donor  and  aid  partner  towards  a  new 
partnership  should  entail  a  change  in  the  way  that  OCTs  receive  financial  assistance  from 
2014 onwards, though without prejudice to discussions on that future Financial Framework. 
In  this  respect,  the  Structural  Funds  could  serve  as  source  of  inspiration,  in  particular  the 
strategic approach of cohesion policy and the resulting thematic and financial concentration in 
the current programming period. Moreover, as is already largely the case today, Community 
financial assistance to the OCTs should only co-finance programmes. Indeed, contributions by 
the OCTs themselves or the related Member States ensure ownership of the programmes by 
the OCTs. 

Notwithstanding  the  above,  the  Commission  acknowledges  that  maintaining  an  anti-poverty 
approach  in  some  OCTs  might  be  justified,  bearing  in  mind  that  some  OCTs  are  at  present 
eligible for Official Development Assistance9. However, the actual development needs in the 
OCTs in question should be assessed in relation to those of the EU’s other aid partners, and a 
list  should  be  drawn  up  accordingly.  Consequently,  the  Community  should  only  provide 
development  aid  to  a  very  limited  number  of  OCTs,  if  any.  Of  course,  this  should  have  no 
bearing  on  an  OCT’s  eligibility  for  other  forms  of  financial  assistance  to  support  the 
objectives of the OCT-EC association. 

3.1. 

Three central objectives tailored to the OCTs’ specificity 

3.1.1.  Enhancing competitiveness 

The promotion of competitiveness in the OCTs should be one of the central objectives for the 
future  association  between  the  OCTs  and  the  EU.  By  targeting  drivers  of  competitiveness, 
such as education and vocational training, technological progress and innovation, information 
and communication technologies, macroeconomic stability, the rule of law, good governance 
(including  in  the  tax  area),  transparent  and  well-functioning  institutions  and  a  solid  policy 
framework  for  supporting  small  and  medium-sized  enterprises  in  particular  in  technology 
sourcing and the development of investment projects, as well as sustainable management and 
valorisation of environmental assets, OCTs could increase their potential to become centres of 
regional excellence. Focused cooperation of the business communities plays an important role 
in this regard. 

3.1.2. 

Strengthening resilience  

The second principal objective should consist in reducing the OCTs’ vulnerability, rather than 
fighting  poverty  as  is  the  case  today.  The  responses  to  the  Green  Paper  pointed  out  the 
inadequacy  of  today’s  traditional  development  cooperation  approach  to  tackle  the  real 
challenges  in  the  OCTs.  It  is  essential  to  increase  the  OCTs’  resilience,  also  because  their 
vulnerability makes it difficult for them to develop their potential. 

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Anguilla, Mayotte, Montserrat, Saint Helena, the Turks and Caicos Islands and Wallis and Futuna. 

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Without prejudice to the specific situation of the least developed OCTs, the future association 
could  thus  focus  on  improving  the  OCTs’  capacity  to  respond  to  economic  shocks,  energy 
dependency  and  environmental  challenges  as  well  as  their  extreme  vulnerability  to  the 
consequences of natural disasters. 

3.1.3.  Promoting cooperation 

Promoting cooperation between the OCTs and other partners should be the third key objective 
to be pursued under the future association. Such cooperation not only consolidates the OCTs’ 
sustainable development, it is also essential if OCTs are to contribute to promoting the EU’s 
values and standards in the wider world, in particular vis-à-vis neighbouring countries.  

In particular against the background of the ongoing regional integration processes in the ACP 
regions  and  the  Economic  Partnership  Agreements  (EPAs)  between  the  EU  and  the  ACP 
regions,  the  OCTs’  integration  in  regional  and  world  markets  and  their  active  cooperation 
with other partners, whenever possible, is vital to harness their sustainable development and 
to  take  full  advantage  of  globalisation  and  minimise  its  negative  impacts.  Increased 
cooperation  could  also  increase  the  OCTs’  capacity  to  tackle  their  vulnerability,  e.g.  via 
economies of scale, regional disaster risk reduction initiatives or cross-border environmental 
protection.  In  addition,  it  could  enhance  cultural  exchanges  and  lead  to  better  mutual 
understanding, respect for diversity and the promotion of core values. It could also allow OCT 
expertise to play a role in the EU’s support for developing countries. 

3.2. 

Principles and axes of cooperation that reflect a new approach 

To  attain  the  three  objectives  outlined  above,  which  are  to  a  large  extent  intertwined,  the 
Commission  has  identified  principles  and  axes  of  cooperation.  They  are  not  all  necessarily 
equally  relevant  for  each  and  every  OCT,  but  should  be  seen  in  view  of  an  OCT’s  specific 
situation. Moreover, without prejudice to the next Financial Framework, the question of how 
technical  and  financial  assistance  could  best  be  provided  by  the  Community  in  order  to 
achieve the objectives of the association should be explored, with due regard to coordination 
with financial instruments for neighbouring Outermost Regions, ACP states or relevant third 
countries. In addition, the question could be raised whether OCTs can be better targeted under 
horizontal  Community  programmes,  to  which  they  have  access  in  principle,  similar  to  the 
direct  or  indirect  targeting  of  the  Outermost  Regions  in  certain  cases  (like  the  specific 
‘capacity’ programme under the Seventh Research Framework Programme).  

Moreover, as the OCTs often stress the difficulties they encounter due to limited institutional 
capacities given their small size, the OCTs and the related Member States should make it a 
priority to overcome these problems, if necessary with the EU’s help. In the same vein, the 
OCTs  (and/or  the  related  Member  States)  should  equip  themselves  with  the  necessary 
capacity  to  follow  relevant  EU  policy  developments  and  to  gather  statistical  data,  which  is 
essential  to  establish  a  consolidated  diagnosis  of  the  OCTs’  social,  economic  and 
environmental situation for the subsequent development of appropriate policies and strategies. 

3.2.1.  Centres of excellence and expertise 

Based on a clear diagnosis of an OCT’s challenges and opportunities in its region, the future 
association  should  stimulate  the  formulation  of  a  policy  framework  for  an  outward-oriented 
growth  strategy,  following  a  participative  approach  between  public  authorities,  the  private 
sector and civil society. 

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Once  the  comparative  assets  of  an  OCT  have  been  identified,  the  future  association  should 
provide  ways  for  an  OCT  to  further  develop  these  assets,  up  to  at  least  EU-level  standards, 
with a view to sharing the excellence and expertise acquired with other OCTs, neighbouring 
countries  and  in  particular  developing  countries,  as  well  as  other  interested  partners.  Such 
excellence and expertise could then also be shared with the EU whenever relevant. 

3.2.2.  EU rules and standards 

In addition to the promotion of OCTs as centres of excellence, the future association should 
encourage  and  assist  all  OCTs  (financially  or  otherwise)  to  ‘upgrade’  local  legislation  in 
relevant  policy  areas  to  the  level  of  the  Community  acquis,  where  that  is  not  yet  the  case. 
Such  upgrading  should  always  be  voluntary.  It  could  give  rise  to  the  respect  of  higher 
environmental  standards,  a  healthier  business  climate,  increased  export  capacities  (e.g.  via 
upgrading of sanitary and phytosanitary standards), etc. With regard to economic cooperation 
in goods and services, upgrading local legislation as well as assisting operators to adjust to the 
resulting  new  framework  would  reduce  regulatory  heterogeneity  and  non-tariff  barriers, 
standardise customs procedures and facilitate regional and international trade, including with 
the  EU.  On  tax,  all  OCTs  concerned  have  now  committed  to  international  standards  of 
transparency  and  exchange  of  information,  whose  swift  implementation  is  essential  for 
achieving a level playing field in the tax area and for the smooth functioning of tax systems10. 

Upgrading  local  legislation  could  also  make  OCTs  ‘examples’  in  their  regions,  thus 
contributing,  under  a  more  reciprocal  partnership,  to  promoting  EU  values  and  standards. 
However,  it  should  be  stressed  that  the  voluntary  adoption  by  an  OCT  of  EU  rules  and 
standards in a given policy area would not be tantamount to that OCT’s integration within the 
related  Community  policy  as  such.  Moreover,  it  should  not  become  an  obstacle  to  further 
regional integration if that is part of the OCT’s policy. 

Even though the future OCT association should not entail the direct applicability of a given 
Community  policy  to  the  OCTs,  the  question  could  be  explored  how  an  OCT  that  has 
voluntarily  taken  over  the  Community  acquis  in  a  given  area  could  somehow  be  better 
involved in the dialogue on the subsequent development of the  relevant  Community policy, 
without prejudice to the role of the Member States in the decision-making process. The future 
association could thus comprise mechanisms for policy dialogue, building upon the existing 
principles  and  practices  embodying  the  trilateral  relationship  between  the  Community,  the 
OCTs and the Member States to which they are linked, as well as upon the link between the 
OCTs and the related Member States.  

3.2.3.  Environment and disasters  

The  promotion  of  measures  at  international  level  to  deal  with  regional  or  worldwide 
environmental  problems  is  one  of  the  objectives  of  the  Community’s  environmental  policy. 
This  policy  already  recognises  the  strategic  importance  of  the  OCTs  in  this  field:  they  are 
included in action plans for the protection of biodiversity or climate change. Furthermore, the 
OCTs offer great potential for improving worldwide scientific knowledge on biodiversity and 
maritime environment and resources. 

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See  the  Commission’s  Communication  of  28  April  2009  on  Promoting  Good  Governance  in  Tax 
Matters (COM(2009) 201 final). 

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Following  the  responses  to  the  Green  Paper  and  taking  note  of  the  message  from  Réunion 
Island11, the Commission is willing to examine, in partnership with the OCTs and the Member 
States to which they are linked, and involving civil society as well, proposals that could help 
the  OCTs  to  embark  on  a  sustainable  development  path  (‘greening  the  economy’)  and  help 
them to implement environmental measures (such as adaptation to climate change, networks 
of protected areas, environmental assessments, waste management and renewable energies). 

Disaster  risk  reduction  (DRR)  is  also  a  key  priority  that  cannot  be  addressed  by  one  OCT 
alone.  Responses  are  much  more  efficient  when  they  are  undertaken  at  regional  or  wider 
levels. Without prejudice to the action of the concerned Member States to include the OCTs 
in regional or international plans, the EU should help the OCTs to be considered by relevant 
regional  organisations  or  be  taken  into  account  in  regional  or  world  strategies  in  this  field. 
The EU’s support for DRR in OCTs12 is not only based on solidarity with the OCTs — it also 
allows  the  EU  to  benefit  from  the  experience  gained  by  OCTs  in  order  to  improve  DRR 
within the EU or in developing countries.  

3.2.4.  Links to the outside world 

There is no doubt that relative isolation constitutes a major challenge for most if not all OCTs. 
However,  interconnection  is  essential  for  bolstering  further  economic  development  and  for 
consolidating competitiveness via cooperation with other partners in the OCTs’ regions or in 
the  EU.  Therefore,  the  future  association  should  pay  special  attention  to  encouraging  the 
OCTs,  in  particular  the  most  isolated,  to  address  accessibility  issues  and  to  develop 
information and communication technologies.  

Once  an  OCT’s  accessibility  is  enhanced,  ways  of  stimulating  greater  use  of  the  improved 
interconnection facilities could then be explored. However, the creation of artificial schemes 
should  be  avoided.  In  this  connection,  the  Commission  is  also  willing  to  examine  how  the 
OCTs can develop and/or promote the use of seaports and airports as well as transhipment and 
warehousing infrastructure, by means other than the transhipment procedure under Article 36 
of  the  current  Overseas  Association  Decision,  as  there  is  currently  no  evidence  that  this 
procedure has any real value. 

Obviously, improving the OCTs’ accessibility is also vital to stimulate cooperation between 
OCTs, neighbouring countries, the EU (including the Outermost Regions) and other relevant 
partners.  This  will  not  only  help  them  devise  solutions  to  common  challenges,  but  is  also 
essential  for  the  OCTs’  role  as  strategic  outposts  of  the  EU.  In  this  regard,  cooperation  of 
business communities has particular potential for technology transfer, for example in the area 
of tourism, renewable energies or aquaculture. 

3.2.5.  Trade and economic cooperation 

The future provisions on trade and economic cooperation with the OCTs should maintain the 
current  non-reciprocal  tariff  preferences  granted  to  the  OCTs.  However,  this  should  be 
without  prejudice  to  any  revision  necessary,  for  instance  with  regard  to  the  transhipment 

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From  the  Conference  ‘The  European  Union  and  its  Overseas  Entities:  Strategies  to  counter  Climate 
Change  and  Biodiversity  Loss’,  which  took  place  on  La  Réunion  from  7  to  11  July  2008  under  the 
auspices of the French Presidency of the EU. 
See the EU Strategy for Supporting Disaster Risk Reduction in Developing Countries (COM(2009) 84 
final), which also covers the OCTs. 

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procedure,  rules  of  origin  and  cumulation,  the  inclusion  of  a  provision  on  enforcement  of 
tariff preferences in the event of fraud or irregularities13, or to the consequences of any OCT’s 
choice  (supported  by  its  Member  State)  to  be  included  within  the  special  preferential 
arrangements  between  the  Community  and  other  partners  in  the  region  to  which  that  OCT 
belongs,  such  as  the  EPAs14.  The  latter  choice  would  also  result  in  the  trade  relationship 
between that OCT and the Community becoming reciprocal. 

Since the OCTs’ trading environment and their privileged position within EU trade policy are 
changing as a consequence of multilateral liberalisation and the EPAs with ACP regions, the 
Commission  wishes  to  stress  the  importance  of  the  OCTs’  integration  within  regional  and 
world markets, as  a complement  to other means to enhance the OCTs’ competitiveness  and 
reduce their vulnerability. Therefore, the OCTs located in an ACP region have been invited to 
position  themselves  vis-à-vis  the  EPAs.  However,  full  regional  integration  with  ACP 
countries  should  only  be  pursued  if  each  partner  is  willing  to  do  so.  The  future  association 
should  thus  be  capable  of  catering  for  the  differences  between  the  OCTs,  which  may  result 
from the choices made or, for the most isolated OCTs, from their specific situation.  

In  any  event,  the  OCTs  must  continue  to  comply  with  the  relevant  obligations  imposed  on 
third countries in respect of trade, as they do not form part of the single market. However, the 
future  association  should  make  it  easier  for  the  OCTs  to  comply  with  these  obligations,  by 
encouraging and helping them to upgrade their internal standards.  

Moreover, the Commission is in favour of modernising the rules of origin for OCTs. Taking 
into  account  the  ongoing  reform  process  and  the  importance  of  simplification,  transparency 
and  manageability,  such  modernisation  could  give  rise  to  an  OCT-specific  set  of  rules  of 
origin  that  would  in  principle  apply  to  all  OCTs.  However,  certain  OCTs  might  prefer  to 
apply the rules already applicable to trade between their ACP neighbours and the EU instead, 
in  order  to  be  able  to  maintain  the  possibility  of  OCT-ACP  cumulation  of  origin  in  their 
region. 

4. 

CONCLUSION 

The Commission is in favour of a significant change in the approach to the association of the 
OCTs with the EU. Such a change should reflect the fact that the relationship between them is 
one of a kind, in the sense that the OCTs and the EU are intricately linked even though the 
OCTs  do  not  form  part  of  the  EU  as  such.  This  should  give  rise  to  a  partnership  based  on 
mutual  interests,  reciprocity,  rights  and  obligations.  In  this  context,  the  EU’s  solidarity 
towards  the  OCTs  should  ensure  their  sustainable  development  by  strengthening  their 
competitiveness  and  reducing  their  vulnerability,  while  the  OCTs  should  contribute  to  the 
promotion of European values.  

13 
14 

As in the General System of Preferences (GSP) and the EPAs. 
The  CARIFORUM-EU  EPA  already  allows  OCTs  to  be  brought  within  the  scope  of  the  agreement. 
Should  an  OCT  and  its  Member  State  so  request,  the  Commission  would  agree  to  include  that  OCT 
within an EPA. 

EN 

9 

   EN 

 
                                                 
To help build a new EU strategy towards the OCTs, the Commission intends to examine in 
particular  the  following  issues  more  in  detail  before  making  a  proposal  for  a  new  Overseas 
Association Decision: 

•  Main  challenges  and  opportunities  of  each  OCT  in  its  regional  environment,  as  well  as 
each OCT’s comparative assets, strategic potential and present competitiveness in light of 
the  development  of  an  enabling  environment  for  business  cooperation  and  capacity 
building; 

•  Degree  of  convergence  between  the  local  legislation  in  each  OCT  and  the  Community 

acquis in relevant policy areas; 

•  Possible  ways  of  improving  OCTs’  accessibility,  including  through  information  and 

communication technologies (ICTs); 

•  Impact and prospects of regional integration and globalisation for the OCTs; 

•  Promotion  of  closer  cooperation  on  environment,  inter  alia  climate  change  and 

biodiversity, and DRR in the OCTs; 

•  Actual need for development aid; 

•  Possible OCT-specific rules of origin; 

•  Possible financing mechanisms. 

The  aim  is  to  pursue  and  intensify  the  reflection  in  the  course  of  2010  and  2011,  in 
partnership  with  the  OCTs  and  the  related  Member  States.  This  should  pave  the  way  for 
working  out  concrete  legislative  proposals  in  time  before  the  end  of  2013,  to  amend  the 
current association. 

EN 

10 

   EN