(CARIFORUM Directorate, CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) - Activities undertaken under the Programme titled, Support to CARIFORUM in Effective Implementation of the CARIFORUM-European Union (EU) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), Regional Coordination on Trade and EU Cooperation came under review recently during a virtual meeting.

Chair of the Committee, Director General of CARIFORUM, Ms. Alexis Downes-Amsterdam expressed gratitude to the European Commission for its continued support for the CARIFORUM Directorate to deliver important coordination and advisory services to Member States.

Mr. Felipe De la Mota, Team Leader, Regional Cooperation and Trade at the Delegation of the EU to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean States, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and CARIFORUM reiterated the EU’s commitment to the successful execution of the Programme.

Since its creation in 1992, CARIFORUM has been mainly supported by the EU. The “Support to CARIFORUM in effective implementation of the CARIFORUM-EU EPA, regional coordination on trade and EU cooperation” Programme maintains that support up to May 2027. It allows CARIFORUM to build on the results obtained under previous programmes, including for the implementation of the CARIFORUM-EU EPA.

The Programme also assists in coordinating the trading and cooperation relationship with the European Union through technical capacity building, improving regional coordination and increasing awareness of the EPA.