EU and West Africa

On 24th April the EU and the Economic Community of Western African Space (ECOWAS) meeting in Accra agreed to open negotiations for an economic and partnership agreement (EPA) in September 2003.

West Africa is the first region within the African Carribean and Pacific group to have taken this step and it is a clear sign of its mature process of regional integration.

Speaking from Accra, EU Trade commissioner Pascal Lamy said: "this is a very important step forward in the EU/ACP common project of making trade contribute to development. This is a stepping-stone in establishing a partnership between the EU and this region. It is also a clear sign of the EU continuous commitment to the integration of this region, thus contributing to the stability and prosperity of Western Africa".

ECOWAS ministers will now meet in July 2003 to finalize the region preparations for the opening of the negotiations.

At the meeting, ministers confirmed their commitment to a successful outcome of the WTO ministerial meeting in Cancun, so that the negotiations under the Doha Development Agenda are concluded by the agreed date of end of 2004.


Background

Negotiations for ACP-EU Economic Partnership Agreements were launched in September 2002. After an initial phase of discussions with the whole ACP Group, negotiations with individual regions are expected to start in September.

The Ecowas heads of state and government agreed to negotiate an EPA with the EU at their December 2001 summit.


Economic Community of West African States

Ecowas is a 15-member regional grouping founded in 1975. It includes the eight countries of the West-African Economic and Monetary Union (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo) and Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Its main objective is to establish an economic and monetary union and to promote economic integration in all fields of economic activity. Projects in the pipeline include a single currency, a free-trade area and a common external tariff.


West African Economic and Monetary Union

Waemu was established by the Treaty signed in Dakar on 10 January 1994. The eight members share a common currency (the CFA franc), pursue a common economic and monetary policy and have had a customs union up and running since 1 January 2000. Its objective is to develop a common market based on the free flow of persons, goods, services, and capital and on the right of establishment.


For further information, see:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/trade/bilateral/acp/index_en.htm


For background information:

http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guestfr.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=IP/03/559|0|RAPID&lg=EN&display=

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• EU Presidency Statement - Secretary-General's progress report on Security Council mission to West Africa (23/1/2004)