West Africa: EPA divisions

When the leaders of the Economic Community of West African States gather this week in Burkina Faso, trade matters are sure to be on their minds, if not on the agenda.

A WTO-waiver on the Coutonou Agreement system of trade preferences between the EU and almost 80 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries expired on January 1.  The intended replacement -- Economic Partnership Agreements -- are being negotiated with six regional blocs, one of which is ECOWAS.  However, African countries are divided over the EPAs, which will provide tariff-free access to European markets, but also require developing countries to phase out their tariffs on imports from the EU, as well as opening up their services sector to European companies. 

ECOWAS has tried to adopt a common position on the EPAs, but the 15 members' trade interests are too different.  All but three are designated 'least developed countries', which already enjoy privileged access under the EU's Everything But Arms framework, although their export sectors are in any case weak.  Ghana and Ivory Coast, non-LDCs with significant agricultural exports, have initialled individual interim accords with the EU, to protect their access.  Nigeria -- whose overwhelmingly dominant export is oil -- has made it clear that the EPAs are not a top priority.

ECOWAS and the EU have agreed an 18-month timetable to conclude a full regional EPA.  Nevertheless, further delays seem likely, pointing both to the contentious nature of the accords, and the difficulty the region faces pursuing meaningful economic integration.