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2.6. The National Economic Summit is to be held on 20-21 April 2023; the aim of the Summit is to create a collective national vision with adequate sectoral policies and an implementation framework for the Government's plant to chart a path towards economic recovery. The Summit is also to set out the foundation of the upcoming National Development Plan. The authorities consider that the Summit is a consultative and collaborative approach towards policy formulation; the thematic areas of macroeconomic management, key growth sectors, governance and reforms, human development, rural and outer island development, land-based activities, marine, indigenous participation in water resource management, transport, and energy are identified to achieve the Government's overarching objective of inclusive economic security, social justice, conscientious governance, political stability, indigenous participation in development, and environmental sustainability.

2.13. The authorities also state that Fiji has taken the initiative to bring to the forefront the impact of climate change through its leadership at various international fora; it introduced the Informal Dialogue on Plastic Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastic Trade (IDP) at the Committee on Trade and Environment in 2020. Fiji also participates in the Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions and the Fossil Fuel Subsidies Reform Initiative.

2.24. (...) Fiji sees the IPEF [Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity] as a unique, but progressive framework that has sustainability, resilience, and inclusive prosperity at its core. (...) [On 27 May 2022, Fiji joined the IPEF as a founding member.]

2.26. On 25 September 2019, Fiji, together with Costa Rica, Iceland, New Zealand, and Norway, announced the commencement of a negotiation of the Agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability (ACCTS). In January 2020, Switzerland also joined the negotiation. ACCTS will include measures such as (i) the removal of tariffs on environmental goods; (ii) the establishment of new and binding commitments for environmental services; (iii) establishment of disciplines to eliminate subsidies on harmful fossil fuel; and (iv) creation of guidelines to inform the development and implementation of voluntary eco labelling programmes and mechanisms.

3.24. Fiji did not submit any notifications to the Committee on Import Licensing during the period under review. The authorities affirm that licensing requirements are mainly used for national security, public safety, health, morality environmental reasons, or for the enforcement of international obligations undertaken by Fiji. Non-automatic licensing requirements continue to apply on several imports, including (...) noxious gases, ozone-depleting substances, (...) and endangered species. (...)

3.26. Prohibited imports include counterfeit currency, pornographic or subversive materials, goods infringing intellectual property rights, and hazardous waste (...).

3.35. Over the review period, the BAF [the Biosecurity Authority of Fiji] aligned registration of export Biosecurity Approved Premises (BAP) with the Fruit Exporters License (FEL) under the Fruit Export and Marketing Act (Chapter 154) to streamline registration processes and make it simpler for exporters of agricultural commodities to comply. According to the authorities, it now takes 48 hours (down from 1 week) to get a Forest Harvesting Licence, thanks to the Ministry of Forestry's online system.

3.36. Prohibited exports include round logs for environmental reasons and to promote downstream processing.

3.37. Exports of fish and other marine products require an export permit from the Ministry of Fisheries and exports of certain species are prohibited on conservational and environmental grounds. (...)

3.38. As for tuna exports to the European Union, exporters must comply with EU fish export standards. That is, vessels, crew, processing plants, and storage facilities must be certified by the competent authority. The exported fish also need to be accompanied by a Catch Certificate confirming that the fish caught by Fiji fishing vessels are not IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated) caught. In the ongoing negotiations of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union, Fiji continues to strive for the establishment of more flexible rules of origin than those in the interim EPA that would allow for global sourcing of fisheries raw materials.