CARIFORUM States signed an Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union and its Member States in 2008. The negotiations under Article 145E are under way but the producers of CARIFORUM origin-linked products still have not captured a sufficient understanding of the mechanisms for producing, marketing, and protecting the competitive advantage of these products using Geographical Indications. The EU was hosting 2 workshops in CARICOM Locations to facilitate understanding, developing and maintaining the link between the recognized characteristics, qualities or reputation of a product and the territory within which it is produced; developing the markets and distribution channels for products that use Geographical Indications; and protecting the competitive advantage of products using Geographical Indications.
The services provided include travel arrangements, payment of daily allowance, hiring of hostesses, hotel reservation and payment, the reservation and rental of the conference room, interpretation services, the technical equipment, the catering and the printing.