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/ 9th REGIONAL SEMINAR OF ACP-EU ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL INTEREST GROUPS
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Barbados, 14 to 16 May 2007

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PROGRAMME
Monday, 14 May
From 7.30 a.m. /

Registration of delegates

7.30 a.m. / Employers
8.30 a.m. /

Trade Unions

9.15 a.m. /

Various Interests

8-10.30 a.m. / Group meetings
8-8.45 a.m. /

Employers

8.50-9.35 a.m. /

Trade Unions

9.40-10.30 a.m. /

Various Interests

10.30 a.m. / Registration of participants
11 a.m.-12.30 p.m. /

Inaugural Session

  • Mr Dantin, President of the ACP-EU Follow-up Committee of the European Economic and Social Committee
  • Mr Bissember, Assistant General Counsel, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat
  • Mr Falkenberg, Deputy Director General, Directorate General for Trade, European Commission
  • H.E. Dame Billie Miller, Senior Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Barbados, lead CARIFORUM Ministerial Spokesperson in the EPA negotiations and Chair of the ACP Ministerial Trade Committee

12.30-2 p.m. / Break
2-4.45 p.m. / An Improved Partnership for a Better Development
Chair: Mr Somville, member of the ACP-EU Follow-up Committeeof the EESC
  • Ms Florio, member of the ACP-EU Follow-up Committee of the EESC
  • Mr Gibbs, Permanent Secretary for Economic Affairs and National Authorising Officer of Barbados
  • Discussion
Response of the European Commission
  • Mr Ehbets, Head of Unit, Directorate General for Development, European Commission
  • Mr Polycandriotis,Head of Social Affairs Section,Delegation of the European Commission in Barbados
  • Presentation of national cases from the region
  • Discussion

4.45-5 p.m. / Coffee break
5-6.30 p.m. /

The participatory approach: the promotion of social dialogue and of the consultative function

Chair: Mr Csuport, member of the ACP-EU Follow-up Committee of the EESC
  • Mr De Peaňa, General Secretary of the Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL)
  • Mr Husbands, Executive Director of the Barbados Employers' Confederation (BEC)

Discussion

6.30-8.30 p.m. / Reception offered by the European Economic and Social Committee
Tuesday, 15 May
9-11.15 a.m. /

Assessment of the state of the negotiations of the Economic Partnership Agreement(EPA)with the Caribbean

Chair: Mr Makeka, Executive Director, Association of Lesotho Employers and member of the ACP-EU Follow-up Committee of the EESC
  • Mr Ramesh Chaitoo,Head of the Trade in Services Unit of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery and Alternate CARIFORUM Negotiator in EPA Services Negotiations
  • Mr Falkenberg, Deputy Director General, Directorate General for Trade, European Commission
  • Discussion

11.15-11.30 a.m. / Coffee break
11.30 a.m.-1 p.m. / How to ensure a sustainable EPA?
Chair: Mr Diop,Secretary General,National Council of Employers of Senegal and member of the ACP-EU Follow-up Committee of the EESC
  • Mr Dantin, member of the ACP-EU Follow-up Committee and co-rapporteur of the EESC report How to integrate social aspects into the Economic Partnership Agreements
  • Mr Krimphoff, Senior Manager, PricewaterhouseCoopers, ACP-EU Consortium – presentation on the Sustainability Impact Assessments for the Caribbean
  • Discussion

1-3 p.m. / Break
3-5 p.m. / What role for civil society in the negotiations and in the implementation of the EPA?
Chair: Mr Dantin, President of the ACP-EU Follow-up Committee of the EESC
Regional examples:
  • Mr De Peaňa, General Secretary of the Caribbean Congress of Labourand spokesperson of the Steering Committee of the Caribbean Non-State Actors Network for the EPA Negotiations
  • Mr Kiriro, President of East Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF) and member of the ACP-EU Follow-up Committee - presentation on the mid-term review of the EPAs by farmers organisations in ACP countries
  • Mr Akoute, Secretary-General, National Confederation of Trade Unions of Togo and member of the ACP-EU Follow-up Committee of the EESC – presentation on the Guide for Boosting the Capacities of ACP Trade Unions in the EPAs
  • Senator Sandra Husbands, President of the Caribbean Association of Small and Medium Enterprises – presentation on the Critical Pathways Project
  • Discussion

5.-5.30 p.m. / Group meetings
  • Employers

5.45-7.15 p.m. / Meeting of the ACP-EU Follow-up Committee of the EESC
Wednesday, 16 May
8.30-9.30 a.m.
8.30-9 a.m.
9-9.30 a.m. / Group meetings
  • Trade Unions
  • Various Interests

9.30-11 a.m. / Human Resources for Development
Chair: Mr Jahier , member of the ACP-EU Follow-up Committee of the EESC
  • Mr Akouete, Secretary-General, National Confederation of Trade Unions of Togo and member of the ACP-EU Follow-up Committee of the EESC
  • Ms King, member of the ACP-EU Follow-up Committee of the EESC
  • Discussion

11-11.15 a.m. /

Coffee break

11.15 a.m.-12.15 p.m. / Human Resources for Development continued
12.15-2.30 p.m. / Break and press conference
2.30-3.30 p.m. /

Closing session and adoption of the Final Declaration

  • Adoption of the Final Declaration – presentation by Mr Dantin, President of the ACP-EU Follow-up Committee of the EESC
Final remarks
  • Mr Tincani, Head of the Delegation of the European Commission in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean

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