11TH European Development Fund Implementation Report 2017- 2023

iv. Increased Understanding and Utilization of the EPA and Other Market Opening Agreements The utilization of the CARIFORUM-EU EPA stood as a pivotal assumption within the 10th EDF RPSDP, aiming for amplified exports and revenue generation within the CARIFORUM private sector, shaping much of the Agency’s initiatives. Transitioning into the 11th EDF RPSDP framework, the emphasis shifted towards ensuring that firms not only comprehend but also effectively employ the EPA and other agreements. (1) CARIFORUM-EU EPA Breakouts According to a 2016 survey conducted by the Agency, it was revealed that over 50% of surveyed firms struggled to effectively utilize the CARIFORUM-European Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) due to a lack of requisite technical expertise necessary to leverage the Agreement’s benefits. In response, the Agency developed the ‘Leveraging the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Workshop’ aimed at providing a platform for private sector and BSO representatives to enhance their comprehension of the opportunities and regulations within the EPA. The workshops were strategically designed to foster a deeper understanding of the Agreement. The primary objective was to augment firms’ understanding and utilization of the EPA and other relevant Agreements pertinent to CARIFORUM. The workshop sessions encompassed various topics, including Understanding EU Rules and Regulations, Leveraging the EPA’s Implications for SMEs, the Significance of Strategic Partnerships and Distribution Channels, Exporting Services through Strategic Partnerships and Modes of Service Delivery, Practical Trade Information Services, and EPA Implementation. In total 262 people from BSOs and businesses have participated in the workshops.

Table 8: Leveraging the CARIFORUM-EU EPA Workshops Conducted between 2017 -2023

Country

Date

Number of Participants

Trinidad and Tobago Saint Lucia Barbados

July, 2017

50

November, 2017

37

Included participants from: AB (3), Dominica (5), GN (1), SKN (3), SLU (7), SVG (2)

June, 2019

51

Trinidad and Tobago Dominican Republic Dominican Republic

July, 2019

25

December, 2020

30

November, 2021

70

To further increase the awareness, understanding of the trade agreements benefits and its utilisation, the key aspects of the agreement were broken down and explained in a series of short videos which were released on the Caribbean Export YouTube channel and disseminated via its social media platforms. A total of 12 videos under the theme ‘Exporting to Europe with the EPA’ were created and released in 2018. At the time of writing this report, the videos have attracted 129,584 views collectively. Table 4 outlines the breakdown of views per video.

Implementation of the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) Regional Private Sector Development Programme (RPSDP)

46