Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ABUJA1158
2007-06-08 10:52:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Abuja
Cable title:  

ECOWAS: PROGRESS ON AGRICULTURAL HARMONIZATION

Tags:  ECIN ETRD EAGR ECON EAID NI ECOWAS 
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VZCZCXRO9654
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHUJA #1158/01 1591052
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 081052Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9782
INFO RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS 7063
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 001158 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARMENT PASS TO USTR (AGAMA)
TREASURY FOR DAN PETERS
USDOC FOR 3317/ITA/OA/KBURRESS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECIN ETRD EAGR ECON EAID NI ECOWAS
SUBJECT: ECOWAS: PROGRESS ON AGRICULTURAL HARMONIZATION

REF: 2006 ABUJA 3130

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 001158

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARMENT PASS TO USTR (AGAMA)
TREASURY FOR DAN PETERS
USDOC FOR 3317/ITA/OA/KBURRESS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECIN ETRD EAGR ECON EAID NI ECOWAS
SUBJECT: ECOWAS: PROGRESS ON AGRICULTURAL HARMONIZATION

REF: 2006 ABUJA 3130


1. Summary: Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
member states met on May 16-18 to discuss harmonization of sanitary
and phytosanitary (SPS) regulations for ECOWAS non- West African
Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA). Participants agreed that the
signed UEMOA regulation should be the basis for formulating the
ECOWAS SPS regulation, and the remaining activities required for
full ECOWAS SPS harmonization should be completed not later than six
months after the end of May 2007. End Summary.

REGIONAL WORKSHOP ON SPS
--------------


2. The regional workshop on the harmonization of sanitary and
phytosanitary regulations for ECOWAS non-UEMOA member countries was
held at the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja Nigeria from May 16-18, 2007.
The workshop was attended by the public and private sector of the
member countries of Ghana, Guinea Conakry, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra
Leone and The Gambia. Other participating organizations included
FAO, EC, African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF),
Conference des Ministres de l'Agriculture de l'Afrique de l'Ouest et
du Centre (CMA-AOC),Reseau des Organisations Paysannes et des
Producteurs Agricoles (ROPPA) and UEMOA.

OBJECTIVES
--------------


3. The objectives of the workshop were to:

-- Create a forum that enables ECOWAS to present the findings of the
SPS Regional Synthesis Report to national SPS public officials and
private-sector operators and to use the opportunities identified in
the synthesis report to design the way forward for non-UEMOA SPS
integration.
-- Discuss the UEMOA SPS regulation and related documents as a basis
for adoption within the framework of the WTO SPS agreement and
guidelines of its sister organizations.
-- Prepare a position paper on the UEMOA regulation showing areas of
agreement and differences, to serve as an input for the ECOWAS SPS
regulation.

4. In his remarks, Dr Daniel Eklu, Director for Agriculture and

Rural Development at the ECOWAS Commission, noted the need to
implement sanitary and phytosanitary measures at the national and
regional levels, so that product quality and agricultural trade be
improved. He commended the convergence process promoted by ECOWAS
and UEMOA and indicated the way forward in the process by
formulating an action plan jointly with UEMOA.

AGRICULTURAL PILLORS
--------------


5. In his welcome address, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Agriculture,
Environment and Water Resources Ousseini Salifou informed
participants that the agricultural policy of ECOWAS is anchored on
three pillars; improvement of agricultural productivity; regional
integration and increase in agricultural trade among member States;
and improvement of competitiveness and access to international
markets.


6. He emphasized that to improve access to international markets,
agrQultural exports must comply with SPS standards of WTO and
Member States must adopt Common SPS measures through regional
harmonization. Salifou encouraged participants to agree on a sound
legislative framework for the SPS harmonization, focussing on the
three primary sectors - food safety, animal health and phytosanitary
control.


7. The Commissioner acknowledged that UEMOA had done considerable
work and the regulatory agencies gathered at the workshop might
expand the legislative framework to a broader perspective suitable
for the entire region and find areas of convergence acceptable
ECOWAS member states.

USAID SUPPORT
--------------


8. Kofi Humado, representing the West Africa USAID Trade Hub
(WATH),reported that West Africa is home to abundant agricultural,
livestock, fish and seafood products, and to a wide range of locally
produced foodstuffs. However, the region had low compliance with
international quality standards, as well as arbitrary and
unscientific sanitary and phytosanitary measures, which prevented
the region from maximizing its participation in intra-regional and
international trade within the context of the World Trade

ABUJA 00001158 002 OF 002


Organisation's SPS Agreement.


9. In the last three years, WATH has been supporting ECOWAS to
develop a regional policy for the harmonization of plant health,
animal health and food safety standards across its member states.
This is to make trade among ECOWAS member states easier, make
sourcing from West Africa easier for buyers from other parts of the
world.

FINAL AGREEMENTS
--------------


10. After the introductory comments and workshop sessions, the
participants agreed the signed UEMOA regulation should be the basis
for formulating the ECOWAS SPS regulation with the incorporation of
the recommendations and amendments made at the workshop in
accordance with international definitions and ECOWAS legal format.
The remaining activities required for full ECOWAS SPS harmonization
should be completed not later than six months after the end of May

2007. Within this time, the draft ECOWAS regulation should be
prepared and circulated to member states for their comments. The
six month time frame should be strictly observed by ECOWAS to meet
the January 2008 Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) being
negotiated with the European Union.
CAMPBELL