EDITORIAL: Brexit – the C’bean fallout

 

THE European Union is an economic and political partnership involving 28 European countries, which began after World War 2 to foster economic co-operation amongst states. It evolved into a single market with most countries adopting a single currency and allowed for the free transit of members throughout the member states. This was viewed as advantageous to some, but most Britons, to be exact 52 per cent to 48 per cent, thought it best to part ways with the EU. A referendum with more than 30 million persons voting was held on June 23, 2016 to determine whether the UK should leave the EU, with the majority voting to leave. The Brexit vote saw momentum gained by national concerns amidst the influx of migration and the effect it had on national infrastructure, sovereignty and cultural identity.  
 
But what does Brexit mean for Britain and will the Caribbean/EU relationship be affected by the referendum? First, it is important to establish a few fundamental points. The move to exit is not an immediate one; Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty has to be first invoked. This gives the two sides two years to agree to the terms of the split. Theoretically, it should take two years, however, as it has never been done it’s only speculative and may take longer for the relationship to be formally severed. In fact, former Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, now newly appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer, has suggested that it could take up to six years for the UK to complete the exit process as it has to be agreed upon by 27 national parliaments.  
 
Once Britain finally leaves, the Caribbean will no longer have a structured trade relationship with Britain. When Britain joined the European Economic Community in 1973, its authority for trade agreements were vested in the Community. Britain, the formal colonial head for the English-speaking territories, was the conduit for the EU/Caribbean relationship. To this end, Britain’s voice for the Caribbean has been significant in Council meetings in Brussels, the European Commission and other EU institutions, helping to ensure that the region was heard among an increasingly sceptical group of member states that for the most part had no relationship with the region.
 
Professor W. Andy Knight, Professor of International Relations at the University of Alberta, Canada, and former Director of the Institute of International Relations, UWI, St. Augustine, contends that the Caribbean should not expect special deals or preferences from the EU if Britain is no longer there to argue on their behalf. The cornerstone for his contention is that the 27 member countries in the EU have very little in the way of a relationship with the English-speaking Caribbean. He posits that this will impact negatively on the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). “It is quite possible that the EPAs, which have been fundamental in the Caribbean/EU relationship, may now be up for major consideration,” he believes.
 
Given the UK’s leading role in EU trade agreements with the Caribbean, a more direct relationship with the EU may need to be fostered, with Caribbean countries needing to promote their own trade and economic interests. This needs to occur because once Britain officially exits the EU, it will no longer have a trade agreement with the Caribbean. In fact, Britain will have to renegotiate trade terms with not only the 27 member states of the EU, but other territories world-wide. With larger countries like the US being high on its list of priorities though, a trade agreement with 12 small English-speaking countries may not be that high on the agenda.  The Caribbean now has to decide how best to ensure that its relationship with the rest of Europe remains strong and it has at least two years to determine how that is to be done.

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