REVISED TREATY OF BASSETERRE ESTABLISHING THE ORGANISATION OF EASTERN CARIBBEAN STATES ECONOMIC UNION 1 CONTENTS PREAMBLE .................................................................................................................................................... 4 ARTICLE 1: USE OF TERMS......................................................................................................................... 4 ARTICLE 2: THE ORGANISATION OF EASTERN CARIBBEAN STATES .................................................. 5 ARTICLE 3: MEMBERSHIP ........................................................................................................................... 5 ARTICLE 4: PURPOSES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE ORGANISATION ...................................................... 6 ARTICLE 5: GENERAL UNDERTAKING AS TO IMPLEMENTATION .......................................................... 7 ARTICLE 6: INSTITUTIONS OF THE ORGANISATION ............................................................................... 8 ARTICLE 7: ORGANS OF THE ORGANISATION ......................................................................................... 8 ARTICLE 8: COMPOSITION AND FUNCTIONS OF THE OECS AUTHORITY ............................................ 9 ARTICLE 9: COMPOSITION AND FUNCTIONS OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS .............................. 10 ARTICLE 10: COMPOSITION AND FUNCTIONS OF THE OECS ASSEMBLY ......................................... 12 ARTICLE 11: COMPOSITION AND FUNCTIONS OF THE ECONOMIC AFFAIRS COUNCIL .................. 13 ARTICLE 12: THE OECS COMMISSION .................................................................................................... 14 ARTICLE 13: THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE ORGANISATION ....................................................... 14 ARTICLE 14: AREAS OF LEGISLATIVE COMPETENCE OF THE ORGANISATION................................ 15 ARTICLE 15: CO-ORDINATION AND HARMONISATION OF FOREIGN POLICY .................................... 16 ARTICLE 16: EXTERNAL AUDITOR ........................................................................................................... 17 ARTICLE 17: THE BUDGET OF THE ORGANISATION ............................................................................. 17 ARTICLE 18: PROCEDURE FOR THE SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES ..................................................... 18 ARTICLE 19: PARTICIPATION IN OTHER ARRANGEMENTS .................................................................. 18 ARTICLE 20: RELATIONS WITH OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS AND OTHER COUNTRIES......................................................................................................................... 19 ARTICLE 21: LEGAL PERSONALITY , PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES .................................................. 19 ARTICLE 22: HEADQUARTERS OF THE ORGANISATION ...................................................................... 19 ARTICLE 23: THE FIRST MEETING OF THE AUTHORITY UNDER THIS TREATY ................................. 19 ARTICLE 24: ANNEX AND PROTOCOL ..................................................................................................... 19 2 ARTICLE 25: SIGNATURE, RATIFICATION AND ACCESSION BY MEMBER STATES ........................... 20 ARTICLE 26: ENTRY INTO FORCE ............................................................................................................ 20 ARTICLE 27: ADMISSION TO MEMBERSHIP ........................................................................................... 20 ARTICLE 28: WITHDRAWAL ....................................................................................................................... 20 ARTICLE 29: AMENDMENTS ...................................................................................................................... 21 ARTICLE 30: REGISTRATION..................................................................................................................... 21 ANNEX ON SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES ................................................................................................. 23 PROTOCOL OF OECS ECONOMIC UNION ............................................................................................... 28 ARTICLE 1: ECONOMIC UNION .................................................................................................... 28 ARTICLE 2: OBJECTIVES .............................................................................................................. 28 ARTICLE 3: PRINCIPLES ............................................................................................................... 29 ARTICLE 4: IMPORT DUTIES ........................................................................................................ 29 ARTICLE 5: MARKET AREA ORIGIN FOR TARIFF PURPOSES ................................................. 30 ARTICLE 6: THE COMMON CUSTOMS TARIFF ........................................................................... 30 ARTICLE 7: REVENUE DUTIES AND INTERNAL TAXATION ...................................................... 30 ARTICLE 8: EXPORT DRAWBACK ................................................................................................ 31 ARTICLE 9: DUMPED AND SUBSIDISED IMPORTS .................................................................... 32 ARTICLE 10: GOODS IN FREE CIRCULATION IN THE ECONOMIC UNION AREA ................... 32 ARTICLE 11: EXCLUSION FROM THIS PROTOCOL ................................................................... 32 ARTICLE 12: MOVEMENT OF PERSONS ..................................................................................... 33 ARTICLE 13: DEVELOPMENT POLICIES ...................................................................................... 33 ARTICLE 14: MONETARY POLICY ................................................................................................ 35 ARTICLE 15: FISCAL POLICY ........................................................................................................ 35 ARTICLE 16: INCOMES POLICY ................................................................................................... 35 ARTICLE 17: INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS ........................................................... 35 ARTICLE 18: TRADE ...................................................................................................................... 35 ARTICLE 19: TRANSPORT AND CIVIL AVIATION ........................................................................ 35 ARTICLE 20: AGRICULTURE ......................................................................................................... 36 ARTICLE 21: TOURISM .................................................................................................................. 36 ARTICLE 22: EDUCATION ............................................................................................................. 37 ARTICLE 23: HUMAN AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT .................................................................. 37 ARTICLE 24: ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY ..................................................................... 38 ARTICLE 25: TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES ...................... 39 ARTICLE 26: SERVICES ................................................................................................................ 39 ARTICLE 27: RIGHT OF ESTABLISHMENT AND FREEDOM OF TRADE IN SERVICES .......... 39 ARTICLE 28: THE ECONOMIC AFFAIRS COUNCIL ................................................................... 40 ARTICLE 29:THE OECS COMMISSION ....................................................................................... 40 ARTICLE 30:GENERAL CONSULTATIONS AND COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE ........................ 41 ARTICLE 31:EXAMINING COMMITTEE ........................................................................................ 42 ARTICLE 32:DIFFICULTIES IN PARTICULAR SECTORS ........................................................... 42 ARTICLE 33:RELATIONS WITH INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS ....................................... 42 ARTICLE 34:WITHDRAWAL .......................................................................................................... 43 ARTICLE 35:AMENDMENT ........................................................................................................... 43 3 PREAMBLE THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE CONTRACTING STATES, RECALLING the links of their common history and the need to build on that history for the benefit of their peoples; RECOGNISING the progress that has been made towards their integration under the Treaty of Basseterre 1981 and the Agreement Establishing the East Caribbean Common Market; CONVINCED that at this time it is necessary to deepen the level of integration and the pursuit of a common economic purpose which has obtained under the Treaty of Basseterre 1981 and the Agreement Establishing the East Caribbean Common Market; MINDFUL of their obligations toward the wider grouping of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy; DETERMINED to enhance the level of regional co-operation between States that are parties to the Treaty of Basseterre 1981; HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS: ARTICLE 1: USE OF TERMS 1.1 In this Treaty, unless the context requires otherwise - “Associate Member State” means a State or territory that has associate membership of the Organisation under Article 3; "Chief Justice” means the Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court; “Chief Registrar” means the Chief Registrar of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court; “Director-General”