Agriculture
ECOWAS Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP)
The ECOWAS Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP) is the common agricultural framework of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), adopted in 2005 to promote sustainable and competitive agriculture across West Africa. It aims to ensure food security, reduce rural poverty, and support economic growth by modernizing farming systems, strengthening value chains, and improving access to regional and international markets. ECOWAP also focuses on supporting smallholder farmers, enhancing resilience to climate and economic shocks, and fostering regional integration through coordinated agricultural development strategies.
National Agricultural Investment Plans (NAIP)
National Agricultural Investment Plans (NAIP) are strategic frameworks developed by governments to guide and prioritize investments in the agricultural sector. They aim to enhance productivity, ensure food security, promote sustainable farming practices, and stimulate economic growth. These plans typically outline key objectives, priority areas, funding needs, and implementation strategies, aligning national agricultural goals with regional and international initiatives.
Rules of origin
“Rules of origin” are the criteria used to define where a product was made. They are an essential part of trade rules because a number of policies discriminate between exporting countries: quotas, preferential tariffs, anti-dumping actions, countervailing duty (charged to counter export subsidies), and more. Rules of origin are also used to compile trade statistics and for “made in …” labels that are attached to products. This is complicated by globalisation and the way a product can be processed in several countries before it is ready for the market.
The ECOWAS Rules of Origin define the criteria used to determine whether a product qualifies as originating within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region, thereby making it eligible for preferential treatment under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS). These rules establish the conditions under which goods can benefit from reduced or zero tariffs when traded among Member States, including requirements related to wholly obtained products and goods that have undergone sufficient transformation within the region.
Sanitary & Phyto- Sanitary
Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures refer to laws, regulations, standards, and procedures implemented by governments to protect human, animal, and plant health from risks related to pests, diseases, contaminants, or toxins. These measures ensure that food is safe for consumption and that agricultural products do not spread harmful organisms across borders. SPS standards are essential in international trade, as they help countries maintain biosecurity while facilitating the safe exchange of agricultural and food products.
Technical Barriers to Trade
The Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement aims to ensure that technical regulations, standards, and conformity assessment procedures are non-discriminatory and do not create unnecessary obstacles to trade. At the same time, it recognises WTO members’ right to implement measures to achieve legitimate policy objectives, such as the protection of human health and safety or protection of the environment. The TBT Agreement strongly encourages members to base their measures on international standards to facilitate trade. Through its transparency provisions, it also aims to create a predictable trading environment.
