The recommendations also refer to an OECS position on issues related to World Trade Organisation (WTO) Negotiations, consideration of a Service Policy Framework for the OECS and matters related to Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations.The recommendations that will inform an OECS presentation to CARICOM follow a meeting of OECS Ministers of Trade and the OECS Trade Negotiations Group in Reduit St. Lucia on Saturday 2nd July .

The issue of the CSME’s impact on OECS member countries featured prominently and extensively on the Agenda at Saturday’s meeting. Dr. Errol Cort, Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Trade states that discussions were quite revealing. He made reference to a proposed development fund which although legally established, cannot be adequately resourced at present.

Dr. Cort insisted that financial resources be available through the proposed Development fund to assist disadvantaged countries in acquiring special and differential treatment. He added that this could enhance the upgrading of various industries in the OECS and to facilitate considerations of alternative productive sectors. Discussions on the CSME issue referred to chapter seven of the revised Treaty of Chagaramus that speaks to special and differential treatment to less developed countries. Dr. Cort indicated concerns about the text of that specific reference.

“Certainly when you look through that particular chapter in the provision you see two key words; Temporary and Transitional,..but clearly from a broader perspective our LDC’s have peculiar issues that are not transitionary or temporary. Size alone is a major issue that has permanence. So we need to find ways and means of expressing those concerns within the whole ambit of chapter seven of the Treaty.”

Dominica ’s Minister of Trade, Charles Savarin chaired the OECS Ministers meeting. Savarin says provisions need to be made so that economies within the single market will be operating more or less at the same level such as the individual earnings per capita. Savarin anticipates increased frequency of such OECS meetings as the process towards CSME develops.

It would seem to me that there is a need for much more frequent meetings than has been the case in the past… Certainly with the CSME due to come into effect on the first of January 2006, it is vital that efforts be made because there are still matters that need to be worked out. Steps to be taken in the national parliaments..so as to ensure that we have a smooth transition. We are all committed to the implementation of the CSME although we do have some concerns.. As in all integration movements there are always details to be worked out. We saw for instance in Europe where the question of the new constitution for the European Union which was refereed to a referendum in France and Holland, that France voted against the new constitution. That is not because France is opposed to the deepening of the European Union but there are matters which the French population have concerns about. So the fact that we have raised some issues must not be interpreted at all as an indication that the OECS or any member state in the OECS is less than enthusiastic about the movement towards a Caricom Single Market and Economy. We are committed but we want to ensure that we get it right.

The OECS Minister’s of Trade meeting follows a decision of the 41 st OECS Authority after discussing an Empirical Study on the Benefits of the CSME to OECS States. The Authority therefore mandated the ministers to make recommendations on policy issues identified in the report as well as other matters.