Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/362 |
S-IV§10 |
The West African Economic and Monetary Union |
2017 |
Sectors |
General environmental reference |
Fisheries |
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In 2014, two directives were adopted within the context of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Programme (Table 4.1). This Programme has the following objectives: the harmonization of policies and legislations; the assessment of fish stocks in the WAEMU area; the collection of statistical data and the creation of a regional database; the definition of a regional fisheries agreement negotiating strategy; regulation of the licensing conditions; support for the fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance services of the five coastal countries; and the development of intra community trade in these products. Directive No. 3 more specifically concerns the coastal member States; it deals with the conditions of access to fisheries resources, measures for the monitoring, control and surveillance of the activities of fishing vessels and fishing craft, the pursuit of fishing related offences; and community cooperation. Directive No. 4 deals with the management of fishing and aquaculture, fisheries products, research and data collection, and offences and penalties.
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/362 |
S-Table-IV.1 |
The West African Economic and Monetary Union |
2017 |
Sectors |
General environmental reference |
Fisheries |
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Table 4.1 National transposition of WAEMU regulations relating to trade in fisheries products, May 2017
Member States State of implementation of Directive No. 03/2014/CM/UEMOA establishing a common regime for the sustainable management of fisheries resources in the member States and of Directive No. 04/2014/CM/UEMOA establishing a common regime for the monitoring, control and surveillance of WAEMU fisheries
Benin Framework Law No. 2014 19 of 7 August 2014 on fishing and aquaculture in the Republic of Benin; its implementing decrees were in the preliminary draft stage in September 2016.
Burkina Faso In 2012, Burkina Faso adopted a decree transposing Directive No. 4.
Moreover: 1. Directorate General of Water Resources and Forests in charge of overseeing the regulations on fishing and aquaculture within the Ministry responsible for the environment;
2. Directorate General of Veterinary Services in charge of fisheries product quality control;
3. National Animal Health Laboratory;
4. National Public Health Laboratory;
5. Creation of management and surveillance committees within the fishery areas.
Côte d'Ivoire Law No. 2016 554 of 26 July 2016 on fishing and aquaculture fully transposes the two fishing Directives.
Guinea Bissau In process of being approved.
Mali These directives were adopted in Mali simultaneously with the enactment of a new law whose implementing decrees were in process of being drawn up in September 2016.
Niger In process of being approved.
Senegal Law No. 2015 18 of 13 July 2015 containing the Maritime Fisheries Code with its implementing Decree No. 2016 1804 of 22 November 2016.
Togo Law No. 98 012 of 11 June 1998 regulating fishing in process of revision.
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/362 |
S-IV§11 |
The West African Economic and Monetary Union |
2017 |
Sectors |
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Fisheries |
Relevant information
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Recent community measures include campaigns to assess pelagic and demersal species in the Togo exclusive economic zone (2012, 2015); surveys; and monitoring of inland fishing catches (2015). Because of the continuity of the West African coast, on the one hand, and the need for information on the state of the regional fisheries potential, on the other, the Programme also covers non member countries (Mauritania, Gambia, Guinea and Ghana). The vessels of the Dakar and Conakry oceanographic research centres were selected to conduct these fish stocks assessment campaigns. A website for small scale, maritime, and inland fishing statistics is to be supplied with data on the member States' fisheries. A list of indicators and a strategy for the framework surveys to be carried out under the Programme have been drawn up and adopted. In practice, the implementation of these initiatives is encountering serious difficulties. These difficulties may be administrative in nature, associated with the priorities of successive governments, or due to the lack of cooperation among member States in connection with joint surveillance measures or to a shortage of qualified personnel, financial resources and equipment for implementation purposes.
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/362 |
S-IV§17 |
The West African Economic and Monetary Union |
2017 |
Sectors |
General environmental reference |
Mining |
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All the member States have brought themselves into conformity with the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) , apart from Benin (which has no mining industry) and Guinea Bissau. This should help to improve the management of mining revenue and ensure that there is greater transparency in the awarding of contracts, and that mechanisms are put in place to manage mining income so that it benefits the population as a whole. Unfortunately, the management of small scale mining operations and, in particular, panning for gold lies outside the control of the EITI, despite the fact that exports of gold – mostly the product of non industrial mining – account for one fifth of the Union's total exports (Table 4.2), with disastrous human and environmental consequences. The community Mining Code was being revised in 2017 in order to take these concerns into account.
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/362 |
S-IV§23 |
The West African Economic and Monetary Union |
2017 |
Sectors |
Loans and financing |
Energy |
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As pointed out by UNIDO, the high cost of electrical energy, the difficulties of access and power cuts are acting as "a real brake on the competitiveness of the industrial sector". To extricate themselves from this energy crisis, the member States have envisaged several solutions at regional level, as described in a Regional Sustainable Energy Initiative (IRED) published in 2008 and designed to make it possible to cover all the region's electricity requirements by 2030. The IRED programme is based on a four pronged strategy, namely: (a) to develop a diversified, competitive and sustainable energy supply; (b) to introduce a regional plan for managing electrical energy consumption; (c) to speed up the emergence of a West African electricity market; and (d) to introduce a financing mechanism for the energy sector, the Energy Development Fund (FDE), intended to support the IRED during its start up phase. This fund received an initial endowment of CFAF 250 billion (€380 million), all of which had been spent on 14 projects in May 2017.
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/362 |
S-IV§25 |
The West African Economic and Monetary Union |
2017 |
Sectors |
General environmental reference |
Energy, Manufacturing, Other, Services |
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The IRED (Regional Sustainable Energy Initiative) emergency programme is based on three essential components: a programme to improve the electrical power supply (thermal generation and network interconnection); a regional energy saving programme that will enable WAEMU to implement energy efficiency measures for government services, households and industry, including the distribution of low energy light bulbs; and ensure better governance of the electrical energy sector in terms of the quality of national electricity company management and regulation.
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/362 |
S-Table-IV.6 |
The West African Economic and Monetary Union |
2017 |
Sectors |
Other measures |
Services |
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Table 4.6 Ratification of the maritime conventions by the member States, May 2017
Convention/country Benin Burkina Faso Côte d'Ivoire Guinea-Bissau Mali Niger Senegal Togo
(...)
MARPOL Convention (on prevention of pollution) n.a. n.a. Yes n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
(...)
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/362 |
S-IV§94 |
The West African Economic and Monetary Union |
2017 |
Sectors |
Other measures |
Services |
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The development of tourism is also encountering numerous environmental problems which are threatening natural resources; these problems mostly stem from non sustainable resource exploitation practices. For example, the beaches of Benin, Côte d'Ivoire and Togo are often covered with oil and detritus from ships being cleaned out off the coast. In this connection, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea Bissau, Senegal and Togo signed and ratified the Abidjan Convention in March 1981. This Convention is aimed at solving the common ecological problems of the 22 coastal member States. The Regional Coordination Unit in Abidjan is charged with coordinating the various technical activities of the Action Plan, under the supervision of the UNEP Regional Office for Africa.
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Environment
Sustainable
Natural resources
Clean
Eco
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/362 |
S-II§22 |
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2017 |
Trade Policy Framework |
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Admission to one of the preferential regimes is open to any newly created enterprise in any sector, if the business is of interest or special importance to attaining the goals of the national economic and social development plan. Companies engaging in the following activities are not eligible for these preferential regimes: (...) activities detrimental to the environment and to public health , for which an environmental compliance certificate is required.
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/362 |
S-II§28 |
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2017 |
Trade Policy Framework |
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Among other things, the Code aims to encourage local value added. Activities that consist of buying for resale in the same state or repackaging and wrapping finished goods are, therefore, not entitled to the concessions. Up to 2008, there had to be at least 50% value added in order to receive the concessions. This figure has, however, been lowered to 30% under the new ordinances. The Code requires beneficiaries to have a minimum of 60% Beninese nationals on the payroll. Investors must also comply with national or international quality standards applicable to goods and services that are the subject of their activities; protect the environment; keep SYSCOA (West African Accounting System) compliant accounts; abide by the approved investment programmes; allow controls by the authorities; and be entered in the Trade Register.
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