West African farmers state their position on the CET
(Common External Customs Tariff) adopted by the Heads of State
of the ECOWAS on January 12 2006 in Niamey .

 On February 26 this year I wrote:

 West African farmers betrayed by ECOWAS Heads of State!

 (See abc Burkina n° 174). At that juncture I received some correspondence from readers asking if there had been any feedback from the civil society or, in particular, from farmers’ organisations.

 Today I am pleased to communicate to you the reaction of

 ROPPA (Network of Farmers Organisations and Agricultural Producers in West Africa )

www.roppa.info – E-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

 The ROPPA held its 4^th Ordinary Congress from the 30^th of March to the 5^th of April 2006 in St Louis , Senegal .

Here are some excerpts on the subject of the Common External Customs Tariff:

 “In his address the President of ROPPA highlighted the achievements as well as the weaknesses of the ECOWAS agricultural policy. He pointed out its major handicap, i.e. the adoption by ECOWAS of the CET already in force in the UEMOA (the West African Economic and Monetary Union ).

 The Congress unanimously rejected the CET endorsed by the ECOWAS. In its present form, this instrument excludes the possibility of attaining the objectives of food security and food sovereignty, let alone securing a decent income for family farmers.

 The Congress finds that it is necessary and urgent to make upward adjustments of the CET, as foreseen in the provisions of articles 3 and 9 of the Agreement of January 12 2006, in order to protect regional markets and productions.

 Hence the Congress declares its clear recognition of the danger of the present ECOWAS CET to the future of traditional agriculture and subsistence farming. The Congress finds that the weight of family farmer organisations affiliated to the ROPPA Network, in demographic, economic and social terms, must be taken into account in decisions by national public bodies and by ECOWAS Governments.

 A review of the CET will require co-ordinated mass mobilisation in various forms within the ROPPA and its affiliated farmer organisations, accompanied by intense information and lobby work to ensure the solidarity of the West African civil society in the first place and also of European and American farmers’ unions.”

 It should be noted in addition, that the ROPPA Congress took a stand on the current negotiations between the European Union and the ACP countries on the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs).

“The Congress also expressed its deep concern with regard to the excessive rush and the lack of transparency in EPA negotiations. The provisions under discussion at present between the ECOWAS and the EU, besides being in contradiction with ECOWAP objectives, either fall short of WTO rules (on reciprocity) or radically surpass the liberalisation measures initiated by the WTO and the multilateral financial institutions involved in development.”

For further details on the ROPPA Congress you may download the full text of the final resolution at

Résolution finale (WORD file - in French)

 Maurice Oudet
Koudougou, April 22 2006