Projects

Trainings and Human Resources Development,Strategies and development programmes,Expertise and research work,

Preparation of Mid Term Strategy in Banana Sector for SFA 2006 to 2008 and Financing Proposal for SFA 2006 for Dominica, Grenada and St. Vincent

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

European Commission on behalf of the beneficiary countries

National Authorising Officer (NAO) for Dominica, Grenada and St. Vincent

Bananas have long been the predominant agricultural export commodity in the Windward Islands enjoying preferential treatment under successive European Union – ACP Co-operation Agreements. In 1993, the European Community established the common organisation of the market in bananas to set the framework for continuing the advantages enjoyed by traditional ACP suppliers in the community market. Following the WTO’s ruling against the EC banana regime and the amendments made to the common organisation of the market of banana, the Council of the European Union, through Regulation 856/1999, established a Special Framework of Assistance (SFA) to assist traditional ACP suppliers of bananas to adapt to the new market conditions. This SFA aimed to provide over a 10 years period, technical and financial assistance to improve competitiveness in the banana sector and to support diversification where improvement in the competitiveness of the banana sector is not sustainable. With SFA several programmes were implemented to support competitive banana farmers and viable exporters under the emerging market conditions, promoting economic and agricultural diversification, addressing the negative social consequences associated with the decline in the banana industry, in particular its effect on rural communities. Since 2002, the focus of SFA support has shifted from support to the banana industry and agricultural diversification to social recovery and wider economic diversification. With the adoption in 2006 of the new market conditions and the end of preferential arrangements, the Windward Islands and the European Commission want to put in place an multi-annual programme for the three remaining SFA. The objectives of the consultancy are to provide for each country: • A Strategy and an Identification of a multi-annual programme covering of SFA 2006 to SFA 2008. • A detailed programme for SFA 2006 concerning a first set of actions to be launched during the first year of the multi-annual programme.

Start date: 2006-04-01

End date: 2006-11-30