The EU/OCT Association Decision of 2001 identifies five kinds of partnerships for regional cooperation involving OCTs. Examples of how this might work are supplied below.

TYPES OF OCT REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS SUPPORTED BY THE EU

*Provided that the regional organization includes membership of an OCT, a Most Remote Region or an ACP state .Sources: Article 16 of Association Decision, and author.

There is no shortage of regional bodies for such cooperation--the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean/Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee, CARICOM, Cariforum, and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States are all in the business. All the Caribbean OCTs are eligible for Associate Membership of the ACS. Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles have completed the legal requirements and both will be fully exercising their rights come 2003. Air transport, disaster preparedness and mitigation, trade and sustainable tourism have already been identified by these two countries as areas for regional cooperation through the ACS.

The EU-OCT September meeting in Bonaire heard that Cariforum is proposing to make OCTs eligible for associate membership. Interest was also expressed by British OCT's in ACS associate membership. But it is going to be difficult for the small Caribbean OCTS to service membership in so many regional organisations. The number of meetings and the paperwork overwhelm the limited numbers of staff in their Ministries.

Together with considerable bureaucratic requirements for accessing EU funds, this presents a daunting picture to an OCT that wishes to secure a relatively modest amount for a project with its regional neighbours.

My own view is that the EU, the Caribbean regional organizations and the OCTs will need to work together to come up with simplified methods of regional cooperation tailored to the circumstances of OCTs. These circumstances are different from those in Brussels, Georgetown and Port of Spain.

For instance, participation in regional projects could be de-linked from membership in the regional organisation. Perhaps a simple framework cooperation agreement between the OCT and the regional body might suffice; opening cooperation projects to OCT participation on mutually agreed terms.

And relatively quick-disbursing financing facilities with simplified approval procedures might be considered, giving more authority to the local territorial authorizing officers in charge of managing EDF funds.

Professor Norman Girvan is Secretary General of the Association of Caribbean States. The views expressed are not necessarily the official views of the ACS. Feedback can be sent to mail@acs-aec.org.

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October 11, 2002