Activities

TACARI will build on the results of the EU-CABCARI project and has the following overall objectives:

• to improve trade and investment between the EU and CARICOM and within CARICOM as a result of mproved capacity of IBOs
• promoting partnerships between EU and CARICOM SMEs through the Euro Info Centre network of the European Commission (SME matching)
• setting up a network of CARICOM IBOs to promoting EU market access of CARICOM SMEs in key ACP sectors 
• improving the EU market access capacity of CARICOM intermediaries business organisations (IBO’s) who provide services to key economic (export) sectors  - i.e. agricultural, fisheries, wood and manufacturing.

The main activity of the project is to develop and implement EU market access Business Development Services (BDS) by providing direct (individual) technical assistance and training to 12 intermediary business organisations (IBOs) in Belize, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica. In addition a regional “best EU market access practises” seminar will be organised to present the results of the project. For more information about this regional seminar please click here.

This  project focuses on the sectors agricultural, fisheries, wood & furniture and manufacturing. Tourism will not be specifically targeted, but will be included in the customer made EU market access manual if this is a service the intermediary business organisation would like to develop. 

The activities that are foreseen in 2007 and 2008:

• October 2007: project kick off in Belize
• November-December 2007: training missions in Suriname and Trinidad
• January-February 2008: training missions in Belize and Jamaica
• March 2008: ‘best EU market access practices’ seminar in Jamaica
• April 2008: developing new project activities