Monitoring the implementation and results of the Cariforum-EU EPA : Annex A: Background technical report

The main thrust of the EU‑CARIFORUM Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) was to translate the Cotonou preferential type of arrangement (non‑reciprocal) to a more effective and WTO compatible one, which meant asymmetrical reciprocity. Additionally, it was felt that such commitments would also work to lock in reforms, particularly those that in principle would be pro‑development. Services are also an important aspect of the economies for all parties. The important role of services and the need to understand this critical area has been stressed. Stakeholders have emphasised the need to look beyond the commitments made and have noted that little is really understood or has been articulated in terms of the actual regulatory environment in which trade in services is taking place in some sectors. For the most part the focus has been on static commitments. The analysis provided in this background technical report on services and investment is intended to provide further elaboration to the discussion in the main report on some of the issues and concerns in relation to implementation of the EPA regulatory commitments in Title II - services and investment.