ECOWAS to organise workshop on EPA

The ECOWAS Commission would organise a week-long sensitisation workshop on the ongoing negotiation of an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between West Africa and European Union for a free trade area between the two regions.

It would be attended by members of Parliament from Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Parliamentarians, private sector, civil society groups and the media.

Dr Gbenga Greg Obideyi, Director of ECOWAS Commission Trade Department, addressing a press conference in Accra on Monday, said there was the need for education on the EPA currently being negotiated to cover both trade-in-goods and trade-in-services.

He said even though the sub-regional market would be opened to all goods, no free access would be allowed for agricultural products, foods and pharmaceuticals into the West African market.

“The EPA programme is unique because the previous trade relationships were not reciprocal. West African countries did not have the necessary instruments to compete with the countries under the European Union.

“Yaoundé and Lome Conventions were focusing on trade alone without any interest in development issues of the countries involved,” he said.

Mr Kola Sofola, Principal Programme Officer of Trade ECOWAS Commission, said EPA was about liberalising the market and spontaneously creating development in the 15 ECOWAS countries.

He mentioned five components of the EPA as diversifying and increasing production capacity, inter-regional trade, development of trade infrastructure, adjustment cost and implementation and monitoring of the EPA.

Source: GNA