Actually, the sugar producing countries of the Caribbean, which include Guyana, Barbados, Belize, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, have expressed their disappointment with the slow pace of disbursements of funds from the EU, which are intended to help in buffering the economies of sugar producing countries from the fall-out associated with the price cuts.
The sugar producing countries want a trading regime with fair and stable prices and access to a secure and a predictable long term market in the EU, and this will surely be expressed at the Madrid summit.
The process to bring about other partnership agreements has been hindered by several factors, which include the international economic crisis that has affected trade dynamics, protectionist measures, internal differences within the sub-regions, and the current stalemate of the WTO multilateral trade negotiations. These have especially affected negotiations towards agreements between the EU and Mercosur, and also with the Andean Community and Central America.
However, there is now some optimism that the EU and Mercosur are getting closer to an association agreement that could be reached at the Madrid summit.
As we look towards the Madrid summit, we must keep in mind that the central topic will be the role of innovation and new technologies in the area of sustainable development. This topic is related, on the one hand, to problems involving environment conservation and, on the other, to the issue of social inclusion.
Obviously, this involves capitalising on the progress made in both priority areas, particularly the problems associated with climate change and sustainable development. It also underlines the importance of civil society in Latin America and the Caribbean and the European Union -- in playing a stronger role in raising awareness of the bi-regional relations and in improving their transparency and effectiveness.
This can surely work to boost the strategic partnership and traditional goals such as social cohesion, regional integration, and development cooperation policy.
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