European Community - West Africa Regional Strategy Paper and Regional Indicative Programme 2008 - 2013 Translation: Please note the FR version is the officially signed version. 30 July 2008 West Africa, represented by ECOWAS and WAEMU, and the European Commission agree on the following: (1) ECOWAS and WAEMU, represented by Dr Mohammed Ibn. Chambas, president of the ECOWAS Commission and Soumaïla Cissé, President of the WAEMU Commission, and the European Commission, represented by M. Stefano Manservisi, Director General of the Directorate General for Development and relations with ACP States and the Heads of EC Delegations in Nigeria and Burkina Faso, hereinafter referred to as the Parties, held discussions in West Africa from March 2006 to September 2008 with a view to determining the general guidelines of cooperation for the period 2008-2013. The European Investment Bank has been consulted. During these discussions the Regional Strategy Paper and an Indicative Programme of Community aid to West Africa were drawn up, in accordance with the provisions of Articles 8 and 10 of Annex IV to the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement signed in Cotonou on 23 June 2000 and revised in Luxembourg on 25 June 2005. These discussions complete the programming process in West Africa. West Africa is made up of the following countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo. Mauritania has given ECOWAS a mandate to implement the present strategy. The Regional Cooperation Strategy Paper and the Indicative Programme are annexed to this document. (2) As regards the indicative programmable financial resources which the Community plans to make available to West Africa for the period 2008-2013, an amount of €597 million is set aside for the allocation referred to in Article 9 of Annex IV to the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement. This allocation is not an entitlement and may be revised by the Community following the completion of mid-term and final reviews in accordance with Article 11 of Annex IV. (3) The Indicative Programme of Chapter 6 describes the allocation’s resources. The allocation is intended to cover (i) deeper regional integration, improved competitiveness and EPA; (ii) consolidation of good governance and regional stability and (iii) non-focal sectors including the environment and support for human development. It does not pre-empt financing decisions by the Commission. These decisions will be made and implemented in accordance with the rules and procedures defined in the EC regulation on the implementation of the 10th EDF and the financing regulation applicable to the 10th EDF and to Annex IV of the ACP-EC partnership agreement. (4) The European Investment Bank may contribute to the implementation of this Regional Cooperation Strategy Paper by operations financed from the Investment Facility and and/or from its own resources, in accordance with Articles 2(c) and 3 of the 2008-2013 multi-annual financial Protocol, included in Annex Ib of the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement. 2 (5) In accordance with Article 11 of Annex IV of the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement, the signatories shall carry out a mid-term and final review of the Regional Strategy Paper and the Indicative Programme, taking into account updated needs and performance. The mid-term review shall take place in 2010 and the final review in 2012. Following the completion of these reviews, the Community may revise the allocation resources in the light of updated needs and performance. Without prejudice to Article 11 of Annex IV on reviews, the allocation may be increased in accordance with Article 9(2) of Annex IV in the light of arising needs or exceptional performance. (6) The Parties’ agreement to this Regional Strategy Paper and Regional Indicative Programme will be considered as definitive within eight weeks of the date of signature, unless either party notifies its disagreement prior to the end of this period. Done at Strasbourg on 15 November 2008 Mohamed Ibn CHAMBAS Louis MICHEL President of the ECOWAS Commission European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid <Signatures> <Signatures> Soumaïla CISSE, President of the WAEMU Commission <Signatures> 3 Abbreviations ACP African, Caribbean and Pacific States ADB African Development Bank APCI African Productive Capacity Initiative AU African Union BCEAO Central Bank of West African States CAADP Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (NEPAD) CAEMC Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC in French) CAP Common Agricultural Policy CDP Community Development Programme CIDA Canadian International Development Agency COMESA Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa CSL Community Solidarity Levy CSP Country Strategy Paper CSS Country Support Strategy DFID Department for International Development (UK) EC European Commission CET Common External Tariff CIMA Inter-African Conference on Insurance Markets EBID ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development ECOWAS Economic Community of West African States (CEDEAO in French) EDF European Development Fund EIB European Investment Bank EPA Economic Partnership Agreement ESF ECOWAS Standby Forces EU European Union FOSCAO West African Civil Society Forum FRDA Regional Agricultural Development Fund FTA Free Trade Area FVO Food and Veterinary Office (EU) GIABA Intergovernmental Anti-Money Laundering Group in Africa HIPC Heavily Indebted Poor Countries ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization IOM International Organization for Migration IMF International Monetary Fund ISRT Inter-State Road Transport Convention (TRIE in French) ITU International Telecommunication Union LDC Least-Developed Country MDG Millennium Development Goal NEPAD New Partnership for Africa's Development NAO National Authorising Officer NIP National Indicative Programme OHADA Organisation for the Harmonisation of Company Law in Africa PACE Pan-African Programme for the Control of Epizootics PARSTAT Regional Statistical Support Programme PCAE Common Policy to Improve the Environment (WAEMU) PICDCS Permanent Interstates Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS in French) PRSP Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper PRTP Priority Road Transport Programme 4 RAO Regional Authorising Officer REP Regional Economic Programme REPA Regional Economic Partnership Agreement RIB Regional Investment Bank of ECOWAS RIP Regional Indicative Programme RISP Regional Integration Support Programme SADC South African Development Community SCD Single Customs Declaration SPS Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures TBT Technical Barriers to Trade TCI Taxe Conjoncturelle à l'Importation (Short-Term Import Tax) TDP Taxe Dégressive de Protection (Degressive Protection Tax) UAP Union’s Agricultural Policy (WAEMU) UNCTAD United Nations Conference on Trade and Development UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNEP United Nations Environment Programme UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization UNODC United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime UNOWA United Nations Office for West Africa USAID United States Aid International Agency WADB West African Development Bank WAEMU West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU in French) WAMA West African Monetary Agency (AMAO in French) WAMI West African Monetary Institute (IMOA in French) WAMU West African Monetary Union (UMOA in French) WHO World Health Organization WRCU Water Resources Coordination Unit WTO World Trade Organization 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................8 PART I: STRATEGY..........................................................................................................9 1. FRAMEWORK OF THE EC-WEST AFRICA PARTNERSHIP ............................10 1.1.1. Joint Africa-EU strategy....................................................................10 1.1.2. ECOWAS-EU political dialogue.......................................................11 2. THE REGION’S POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SITUATION ..........................................................................11 2.1. Political situation.............................................................................................11 2.2. Economic, trade and social situation...............................................................12 2.2.1. Macroeconomic situation..................................................................13 2.2.2. Production sectors.............................................................................15 2.2.3. Agriculture and food security............................................................18 2.2.4. Trade..................................................................................................19 2.2.5. Social situation..................................................................................20 2.2.6 Research in West Africa....................................................................22 2.3. The environment..............................................................................................22 3. THE REGIONAL INTEGRATION PROCESS .......................................................22 3.1. Introduction .....................................................................................................22 3.1.1. Issues, vision and strategy.................................................................23 3.1.2. Institutions .........................................................................................23