Brussels, 29/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - West Africa, the sub-region of the group of ACP states linked to the European Union under the Cotonou agreement, is expected to be able to count on an EU aid allocation of €6.4 billion over the 2014-2020 period for the eradication of poverty, the region's sustainable development and the strengthening of regional integration, announced Andris Piebalgs, European Development Commissioner, in Brussels on Tuesday 29 October. He was speaking at a ministerial seminar with the authorities of the countries of the region on the development priorities to be funded over the next seven years.
This indicative amount should support investment to generate growth and jobs for the 300 million West African citizens by focusing on “challenges in areas like energy, infrastructure development and drought-driven food crises”, the commissioner said. The day before, during an extraordinary meeting in Dakar (Senegal), the ECOWAS heads of state and government reiterated their commitment to conclude an “equitable and development-oriented” economic partnership agreement (EPA) with the European Union.
Out of the €6.4 billion planned for 2014-2020, €1.2 billion will be devoted to the funding of regional programmes to strengthen regional integration that is making headway with the decision taken last week by the heads of state of the West African countries to further consolidate the region's customs union through the adoption of a common external tariff that will reinforce the common West African market.
For the current funding period (2007-2013), the EU has announced €50 million to promote regional integration by contributing to the rehabilitation and funding of infrastructure, by stimulating economic activity at the sub-regional level and by strengthening interconnection between the countries of the region (in particular, with the Abidjan-Dakar corridor). This programme also provides for the coordinated surveillance of fruit flies to limit the damage caused to farm production and to thus contribute to improving food security and export competitiveness. Several initiatives will aim at the adoption of a common trade policy and regulation and the programme will also finance further measures to combat money laundering in order to reduce the activities or crimes that generate illicit money, such as drug trafficking and corruption. (AN/transl.jl)