12th Regional Seminar of ACP-EU Economic and Social Interest Groups
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, July 5 – 6, 2012
Civil Society Participation in EPA: How to make the EPA Joint CARIFORUM –EC
Consultative Committee (JCC) Work Effectively
Presenter:
Ann-Marie J Lorde, Project Coordinator,
Caribbean Congress of Labour
Introduction
We are examining Civil Society participation in EPA and how to make the Joint JCC
work effectively. To be candid and honest, to make the JCC effective we must first
establish the CARIFORUM side of the JCC.
Background
The JCC has been established under the EPA, which is a blue print for all other EPAs
to be signed between the EU and other ACP countries. The JCC has a mandate to
foster social and civil dialogue through consultation on all aspects of social,
economic, environmental and developmental issues as they arise in the
implementation of the CARIFORUM-EU EPA. To date the CARIFORUM side has
been challenged by the composition of the JCC on the one hand and the finance to
support the functioning of the Committee on the other.
It must be clearly understood that when established the JCC will be an institutional
form of representation for Civil Society organisations and will be expected to have
an important role in the new economic, social, environmental, and developmental
aspects of regional governance under the EPA.
This model of regional governance must therefore speak to equality, transparency
and accountability, and examine such issues as:
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sustainable economic regulation and growth,
combating poverty,
financial stability,
climate change and other environmental issues.
The CARIFORUM JCC when established will therefore be a tripartite mechanism for
social dialogue that constituents of civil society will expect to participate
meaningfully in the regional integration process and also monitor and evaluate trade
and investment negotiations and their implementation.
To return to the matter at hand, how to make the Joint JCC work effectively, the
following areas must engage our attention as a group.
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Regional Integration
We must be clear on the fact that the EPA supports the regional integration process;
some might even argue that Part 1, Article 4 speaks to the fact that regional
integration is a must under the EPA. Indeed regional integration is referenced
throughout the document, under Title II Investment Trade in Services and
Economics and Chapter V Social Aspects just to reference two areas.
For the JCC to be effective Civil Society itself needs to give consideration to
advancing the CARIFORUM and regional integration process by solidifying linkages
with other Civil Society Organisations in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. For it
can be argued that the CARIFORUM process which speaks to regional integration is
just lip service. The Dominican Republic has not as yet been given a seat at the
CARICOM Heads of Government meetings and Visa requirements remain in place
for citizens of the Dominican Republic.
Social Dialogue
With this at the fore the CARIFORUM JCC must therefore be tripartite in nature to
ensure that the Committee is reflective of all members of Civil Society. On
examination of the draft document that proposes a formulation of the CARIFORUM
side of the JCC, it is recognised that all disciplines excepting health are covered. It is
therefore recommended that this document should be amended to provide
representation for a regional health organisation to represent matters of health in the
deliberations of the JCC. It is also suggested that a rotation option for membership
can be considered to facilitate the establishment of the CARIFORUM JCC. This will
however call for discussion.
Internal Structures of the JCC
It is welcome for civil society to be part of the monitoring process of the EPA;
however there is lack of clarity in the follow-up process to be given to
recommendations coming out of the JCC. It is therefore important for members of
the JCC and the Joint Council and Trade and Development Committee (JCTDC) to
agree on a reporting structure that encompass the mechanisms of transparency and
accountability for reporting and receiving feedback. This would ensure that the
views of the JCC are considered in the various policy processes.
A key role of the JCC will therefore be to add value to the work of the JCTDC and to
effectively engage the members of the JCTDC on matters arising out of the
deliberations between the JCC and the JCTDC.
For the members of the JCC to carry out their duties responsibly and successfully the
membership of all civil society representatives on the JCC must be galvanised into
action – a lack of response from constituents can add a lack of credibility to
presentations from representatives on the JCC. Responses to the JCTDC must not be
based on perception of the JCC members, but understood to be based on research
and constituents consultations.
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Influential Process
Though the JCC cannot make decisions it does have a number of ways in which it
can influence the work of the JCTDC and the Parliamentary Council. It may be
argued that this is due to the membership base of CARIFORUM civil society.
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Firstly on technical matters advice can be provided through the regional
architecture and engineering associations.
Secondly on matters of health and education regional healthcare and
academic organisations can be consulted.
Thirdly on issues related to labour and employers the regional labour and
employers organisations can be engaged.
The fourth area that consideration can be given is participatory consultation,
where the JCTDC can consult the JCC on various policy matters to ensure that
the policy decision process will be feasible, sustainable and beneficial to
members of the CARIFORUM and the EU.
With a Civil Society membership base that has the ability to provide sound technical
and institutional knowledge and advice it can be clearly understood and accepted
that the JCTDC will be effectively engaged on matters arising out of JCC
deliberations and discussions between the JCC and the JCTDC on the
implementation of the EPA.
Summary
At the end of our discussions today, we must have a proposed way forward, a road
map, as to how to make the JCC work effectively.
I would suggest that our discussions begin with the formulation of the CARIFORUM
side of the JCC. There is a draft document already in place that we can begin with. It
can be amended to reflect our discussions, and forwarded the DG of CARIFORUM,
HE Ivan Ogando for his consideration.
The next step would be for Civil Society to recognise its ability to influence the
process and as such determine a proposed reporting structure on the one hand, and
on the other hand determine how to galvanise its constituents into action to play an
active and participatory role in the consultation process.
The final area which should engage our attention is that of regional integration and
it link to social dialogue. Social dialogue has an important role to play in supporting
the regional integration process. It has the ability to maximise social and labour
benefits from external trade and investment agreements. This fact can be referenced
in the EPA under the areas of Investment Trade in Services and Economics and
Social Aspects as mentioned above. Consideration must therefore be given to how a
tripartite framework for the JCC will benefit CARIFORUM through the successful
and beneficial implementation of the EPA.
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These three areas that are proposed are expected to generate a measure of
discussion, and provide us with a proposed way forward from this point to help us
determine how to formulate the CARIFORUM side of the JCC, and possibilities on
how to make the JCC work effectively
June 26, 2012:
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