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PACNEWS
Fri, 5 Feb 2010
SUVA, Fiji --- The European Union will reconsider funding the office of the regional chief trade negotiator (OCTA) for PACER Plus, if it’s the consensus decision of all Forum Island Countries (FICs).
But for now, it’s not included as a sub-project for the Annual Action Plan for 2010 EDF10 funding.
First Counsellor at the EU Pacific Delegation office in Fiji, Robert De Raeve says if the project is to be re-considered, it my not be the full 7 million Euros proposed by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.
“The important factor is that it must have the support of PACP countries and legally established.
“The amount that was requested was quite high.
“Pacific ACPs will need to see where the remaining funds for OCTA will come from. They will have to revise the amount needed for OCTA, said Mr De Raeve.
He said the project proposal needs to be revised, to see what exactly the Forum wants the EU to fund.
“If you compare with what Australia and New Zealand are putting into the project, it’s not as much as what’s expected from the EU, said Mr De Raeve.
According to the PIFS circular in November 2009 on the regional prioritisation exercise, the proposed OCTA was one of the top five regional projects proposed for the 2010 funding cycle.
The other four projects were regional trade facilitation in Customs Co-operation, Hub & Spokes II, Pacific Integration Technical Assistance Programme (PACREIP) and the regional tourism capacity building programme.
Only Cook Islands, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands categorised OCTA as their top priority, while Nauru and Marshall Islands listed OCTA as a second priority.
Fiji and Papua New Guinea did not list OCTA as priority at all for 2010.
The Chief Trade Advisor for Forum Island Countries, Dr Chris Noonan, a New Zealand trade expert and academic was appointed in October 2009 but he is yet to sign his contract with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.
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