Le projet TEC de l'AIRD porte une assistance institutionnelle et analytique à la CEDEAO pour la mise en oeuvre du TEC.

From October 2005 through August 2007, AIRD economists Daniel Plunkett and Dirck Stryker assisted the ECOWAS Executive Secretariat and its 15 member countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo) to complete implementation of the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET) and improve function of the ECOWAS Common Market.

Supported by USAID's regional West Africa office, the project’s goals were greater transparency and predictability of ECOWAS’ trading regime (inside and outside the region), through an agreed and widely disseminated CET and implementation of a Common Market, and increased capacity of ECOWAS to coordinate and implement effective trade governance.

Specific activities of the two-year Common External Tariff Project included:

• Support the oversight process for implementation of the CET/Common Market
• Technical support to complete negotiations on the CET schedule and related issues
• Build analytical capacity
• Develop monitoring mechanism for implementation of the CET and Common Market
• Assist in development of internal document dissemination system
• Oversee public information campaign
• Donor coordination on CET and Common Market
• Assist ECOWAS in preparation of a trade policy for agricultural products

In January 2006, the ECOWAS Council of Ministers and the ECOWAS Heads of State approved the CET implementation plan and creation of the CET Management Committee. The 29th Summit of the Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS took other key decisions pertaining to the strengthening of integration and development of the ECOWAS region. These included three areas in which AIRD has worked:

• approval of the conversion of the ECOWAS Secretariat into a Commission, to be headed by a President and assisted by a Deputy and seven other commissioners;
• endorsement of an action plan for implementation of the ECOWAS Common Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP); and
• approval of the management structure of the West African Power Pool (WAPP).

Read the most recent update on the progress made towards the ECOWAS CET, in the three ECOWAS languages:

ECOWAS CET enters negotiation phase 9-06---.doc

CEDEAO--Fase de negociação da Tarifa Exterior Comum.doc

TEC début négociation 9-06--.doc

More detailed information is available by contacting Daniel Plunkett, Senior Economist, of AIRD at dplunkett@aird.com.