Brussels, 06/07/2015 (Agence Europe) - The regional indicative programme establishing the priorities for EU-West Africa cooperation until 2020 was signed in Brussels on Monday 6 July. It is worth €1.15 billion over the seven years from 2014 to 2020.
It will be financed by the European development fund (11th EDF), the main instrument for aid for development cooperation between the EU and the ACP (Africa-Caribbean-Pacific) group of states linked to the EU until 2020 by the Cotonou Agreement.
The programme will focus most of the aid on three priority areas: - peace, security and regional stability (support to ECOWAS and funding for peace and security initiatives, including migration); - regional economic integration and trade (to strengthen trade, the private sector and regional integration and support infrastructure); - and sustainable development of natural resources and biodiversity (covering support to resilience, food security and nutrition as well as environmental protection, biodiversity and climate change).
The programme was co-signed by European International Cooperation and Development Commissioner Neven Mimica, Kadré Désiré Ouedraogo, president of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Cheikh Hadjibou Soumaré, president of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA).
Under the 10th EDF (2008-2013), West Africa received €595 million. The regional indicative programmes complement the funding allocated to each of the ACP countries as part of the national indicative programmes which set out the priorities for cooperation jointly agreed by the European Commission and the ACP national authorities. (Aminata Niang)