CROSQ/INDOCAL/PTB 10th EDF CRIP EPA TBT Project
“10TH European Development Fund Caribbean Regional Indicative Programme Economic Partnership Agreement Technical Barriers to Trade Component”
INTRODUCTION
The Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) component of the 10th European Development Fund – Caribbean Regional Indicative Programme (EDF-CRIP), “Support to the Caribbean Forum of the ACP States in the implementation of the commitments undertaken under the Economic Partnership Agreement”, is funded through a Financial Agreement between the European Union and CARIFORUM.
OBJECTIVE
The overall objective of the 10th EDF Programme is to support the beneficial integration of the CARIFORUM states into the world economy, to support regional cooperation and the development efforts of the Caribbean, in an effort to meet the requirements under the current Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the EU and CARIFORUM.
The overall objective of the EPA-TBT component is to facilitate intra- and inter-regional trade as well as international competitiveness and sustainable production of goods and services within the CARIFORUM states for the enhancement of social and economic development.
BENEFITS
The EDF-CRIP TBT Component will focus on increasing the use of services of internationally recognized regional quality infrastructure institutions in the CARIFORUM States, specifically the National Standards Bodies (NSBs) in each State. The CARIFORUM States are: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Haiti, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.
The project will achieve its objectives through six components, namely:
- Strengthening of the metrology infrastructure within the region;
- Strengthening and harmonisation of the standardization infrastructure;
- Operationalization of regional schemes for accreditation, certification and conformity assessment; and
- Develop and operationalise a regional scheme for certification and conformity assessment;
- Build awareness, strengthen the information and communication infrastructure and develop a coordinated knowledge management system;
- Strengthen the institutions CROSQ Secretariat, INDOCAL and the NSBs from an organizational level, as well as to develop a regional framework for market surveillance.
Additionally, from an organizational level, institutional strengthening of the CROSQ Secretariat, INDOCAL and the NSBs will also be an aspect of this project, as well as development of a regional framework for market surveillance.
ALLOCATED BUDGET
7.8 million Euros
PROJECT DURATION
The project is of fifty-seven (57) months duration.
IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS
The EDF-CRIP EPA-TBT component is overseen by the Delegation of the European Union in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean and is being managed by the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) together with the implementing partners the CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) and the Dominican Institute for Quality (INDOCAL).
CONTACT DETAILS
For further information, please contact the relevant member of the Project Implementation Unit at: tbt.piu@crosq.org.
- Project Manager – Mr. Carl Felix Wolff, PTB
- Project Coordinator – Dr. Sabine Greiner, PTB
- Project Coordinator – Ms. Karlene Russell, CROSQ
- Project Coordinator – Ms. Claribel Lopez Rodriguez, INDOCAL
