Jamaican minister wants easier movement of Caribbean entertainers in Europe

Jamaica\'s Culture Minister Olivia \"Babsy\" Grange today urged Caribbean governments to address ways to facilitate the easier movement of the region\'s entertainers through European countries, according to a report on www.cananews.net.



Grange, speaking at the opening of a meeting of civil society and government, said Caribbean governments must insist on the implementation of measures to facilitate speedy visa applications as well as the reduction of fees.



\"The idea is that mechanisms must be established to facilitate ease of entry of service suppliers into Europe through a reduction of the tedium that currently exists,\" she said.



Grange noted that the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) that governs trade between Europe and the Caribbean was intended to provide easier access for the region\'s goods and services into lucrative markets on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.



\"The bottom line is that the EPA must make life easier for the artist and cultural practitioner, whether as contractual service suppliers or under the protocol of cultural cooperation,\" she said.



\"It is therefore the responsibility of this meeting to actively pursue areas of the EPA that will cause development of the creative sector in the short, medium and long terms. The EPA as a development tool must enhance and add value to the work that needs to be done in these areas,\" Grange told participants.



During the two-day meeting, representatives from across civil society and governments in the Caribbean will discuss how the EPA can be used to their advantage by drawing on culture as a source of economic growth.



Participants are expected to develop an action plan for different civil society organisations to collaborate more closely in monitoring and implementing the EPA, particularly in the creative industries.