THE European Union (EU), it seems, is losing interest in the Caribbean and is well advanced in scaling down its engagement in tangible forms.

There is no particular reason, apart from a long shared history, which would ensure Europe’s continuing interest in the Caribbean. We no longer have any economic or strategic value to the EU, which has long ago ceded tutelage of the region to the United States.

But while Europe does not need the Caribbean we still need the EU, especially in respect of aid, trade, investment and European influence in international fora. It is therefore the Caribbean that needs to make a concerted effort to retain EU interest in us, and more importantly, favourably disposed to supporting and assisting the Caribbean.

To achieve this objective, the governments of regional countries must maintain effective diplomacy in the key capitals of the EU through embassies and visits by prime ministers/presidents and foreign ministers.

The disappointing and declining relationship with the governments of the EU countries is a manifest case of the failure of our diplomacy. Erroneously, some of us see the EU as a declining power and are enamoured with those countries that have been providing financial aid, notably China and Venezuela.

This is certainly the case in Jamaica where trade with the EU has not grown significantly and direct foreign investment, apart from the Spanish hotels, has not been sustained. Jamaica could be deriving more aid, attracting many more tourists and exporting more goods and services.

This disappointing state of affairs is a direct consequence of the absence of serious diplomacy in Britain and the EU. This is evident in the failure to have the Airline Passenger Duty on air travel — which has an adverse impact on travel to the Caribbean — rescinded and the recent damaging change in the EU arrangements for the export of sugar from the ACP.

Jamaica has resident missions at ambassadorial level in London, Brussels, Berlin and Geneva. However, the activities in Geneva are centred on the World Trade Organisation and the United Nations agencies, leaving little time for attention to Italy and other countries to which the ambassador is also accredited.

Berlin is relegated to an entry-level posting or a pre-retirement posting. Brussels is a mid-level posting not on par with London and Washington, although it is where Jamaica can interact with all EU members and EU institutions. London has been done a serious injustice with the exceptions of the outstanding tenures of High Commissioners Derick Heaven and Burchell Whiteman. London is handled as a political constituency in which the concentration is on appearances at events of the Jamaican community and visibility in the press and social media at the expense of policy issues which can result in tangible economic and political benefits.

The performance of our diplomats in London and the EU must be results-oriented and must be judged first by export promotion, investment mobilisation and increased tourist arrivals, and second by the removal the travel tax and forestalling the abolition of the sugar export arrangements and reduced aid.

We think the Jamaican foreign ministry should upgrade the post in Brussels, pay more attention to Paris and the European Parliament, treat London as more than just the Diaspora and arrange some high-level visits to EU capitals.