The Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM), which earlier this year was criticised by both President Jagdeo and Jamaica’s Prime Minister Bruce Golding for its handling of important issues relating to the region, has been designated a new name.

It will now be known as the Office of Trade Negotiations, with Ambassador Gail Mathurin of Jamaica at the helm as Director-General.

She succeeds the former head of the regional negotiating body, Ambassador Henry Gill, according to a communiqué issued by the Heads of Government at the conclusion of their 30th meeting here on Saturday.

Gill, as a result of the criticisms, in particular for the way he handled the Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations between The European Commission and CARIFORUM, tendered his resignation to CARICOM at the end of May, to take effect from June 30 last.

According to the communiqué, the re-designating of the negotiating body is in keeping with the decision of the HoGs , “to incorporate the body into the CARICOM Secretariat as a Specialised Department,” having reviewed the status of implementation of the CARIFORUM-EC Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and noted that some progress had been made by CARICOM signatory states in this regard.

It stated too, that in addition, they acknowledged that a number of important matters remain to be addressed as a consequence of provisional application of the Agreement from 29 December 2008; and reviewed measures to be taken in relation to the establishment of institutions to manage the Agreement, particularly those that would facilitate an early meeting of the Joint Ministerial Council and the Joint Trade and Development Committee.

The Heads also reaffirmed their commitment to securing a Trade and Development Agreement with Canada, which would provide for specific measures to facilitate the Region’s structural transformation; assist in building export capacity and contribute to enhancing its competitiveness.

They agreed too, that discussions with MERCOSUR later this year should focus on concluding arrangements for functional cooperation which would place the Region in a better position to engage MERCOSUR on closer trade relations in the near future, and reaffirmed support for Trinidad and Tobago to pursue bilateral arrangements with the United States in relation to certain products of export interest to that Member State.

As for the bananas issue, the communiqué stated that the Heads of Government agreed to intensify efforts to persuade the European Union on the need for a smaller reduction of the MFN tariff for bananas, and a longer transition period for its implementation; and to take concerted action at the highest political level of the European Union, consistent with other ACP banana exporting countries, to obtain a flexible, front-loaded and speedily disbursed financial package that fully takes into account the losses in export earnings and adjustment costs that will be incurred by banana exporting countries.

They underlined that a positive response by the EU in respect of both issues would be in keeping with the spirit of the Joint Declaration on Bananas annexed to the EPA.

Heads of Government acknowledged, as well, the importance of the conclusion of the Doha Development Round under the WTO, and agreed that the Region would continue to monitor closely developments with a view to safeguarding the gains already secured in the negotiations on behalf of small vulnerable economies, and take a lead role in advancing the other issues of concern to this group of countries.

The HoGs have also instructed Ministers to ensure that the Region is well prepared to participate in the WTO Ministerial Meeting whenever it is convened, according to the communiqué.