Ross Sheil, Staff Reporter

Trade negotiators between the region and the European Union (EU) have agreed on development issues.

However, agreements on trade liberalisation and the region will not be concluded until next year, says Dr. Richard Bernal, executive director of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (RNM).

The ministerial-level meetings ended on Wednesday.

CARIFORUM, which comprises CARICOM and the Dominican Republic, has insisted that development form an integral part of the economic partnership agreement (EPA) with the EU.

Sugar, banana industries in

The agreement will guide the establishment of markets in goods and services between the regions.

"We agreed on the centrality of development and we also spoke about development cooperation to complement the trade aspect of the EPA," said Dr. Bernal. He added that the sugar and banana, industries, which have seen the end of preferential trading arrange-ments with the E.U., also formed part of the discussions.

He said progress was also made in the areas of services, competi-tion policies and government procurement.

However, after ministerial discussions, both sides failed to agree on the issues of CARICOM regional integration and trade liberalisation.

But Dr. Bernal said both sides remained committed to success-fully completing the EPA deal by the end of 2007.

The EPA will succeed the 35-year-old preferential trading agreements via the Lomé Conven-tions and the current Cotonou Agreement.

Similar EPA agreements are also being negotiated between other countries in the African, Caribbean and Pacific group and the EU.

ross.sheil@gleanerjm.com