ISBN : 9782296133341
THE CARIBBEAN, THE EU AND THE WTO : THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF MARGINALIZATION
Peter Clegg University of the West of England, Bri
At present fifteen Caribbean states1 are signatories to the Cotonou Agreement adopted in 2000, the successor to the four Lomé Conventions. These states make up the Forum of the Caribbean ACP States (CARIFORUM) which aims to enhance links between the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Dominican Republic when dealing with the European Union (EU)2. To a large extent the Caribbean consists of small island states with open but fragile economies based on a limited number of commodities, and located in an area vulnerable to natural disasters. Despite the aforementioned problems, the region as a whole has significant levels of human development. The average GDP per capita in 2005 was US$3640, placing it at middle income level (European Commission, 2006). However, there are noteworthy differences in development across the...