THE Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) wants the heads of state and government in the region to issue fresh guidelines before the long-stalemated negotiations of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU) can be concluded.The Guardian learnt that the council of ministers of the sub-regional block made the request in order to have the full backing of the leaders for the strong position taken against dumping and other issues that have to do with the protection of the West African market.The council which met last week also fixed February 1 as the date for the resumption of the commissioners to be appointed.The fresh guidelines, sources at the ECOWAS commission further told The Guardian, were needed from the heads of state and government so that the community could break the deadlock in the negotiations between the region and the European Union for a free trade area of West Africa and the EU.At its last meeting in Accra last month, West Africa's Ministerial Monitoring Committee (MMC) had agreed to refer the divergent issues that have stalled the negotiations to the council which constituted the MMC to coordinate the negotiations.The negotiation of an EPA between West Africa and the EU was scheduled to have been concluded in 2007 but was deadlocked over some issues, mainly EU's response to West Africa's demand for an EPA Development Programme, a $16 billion fund to enable the region to cope with the cost of implementing the EPA, the timetable for the liberalisation of West Africa's market, the status of the ECOWAS Community Levy and its UEMOA equivalent as well as the applicability of the Most Favoured Nation status.The EU is insisting that the EPAD be funded from existing funds contrary to West Africa position that this be funded from fresh funds and the community levy which is used to fund ECOWAS programmes should not be treated as a tariff barrier.Now, the 67th extended council which just ended in Abuja concluded that such guidelines would help the region continue with negotiations in order to approve a regional agreement to guide trade relations between West Africa and the EU.But in order to avoid losing the trade preferences they enjoyed in the EU market, Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana were pressured by the EU into entering into interim agreements that are expected to lapse with a regional agreement.The new commissioners will replace the inaugural commissioners who assumed duty following the transformation of the defunct executive secretariat into a commission in 2007 as part of the restructuring of the organisation.The four-year tenure of all but one of the seven commissioners ends in December 2011. The Council of Ministers decided that the interview by an Ad-hoc Ministerial Committee for candidates for the post of commissioners will take place on 11th, 12th and 13th of January 2012. The report of the committee will be considered by an Extra-Ordinary Meeting of the Council on January 14 ahead of the assumption of office by the successful candidates in February.Other decisions that were recently taken included an adoption of the recommendations of the Meeting of ECOWAS/UEMOA and the EUN Commissions earlier this month aimed at securing funds dedicated to the region under the EU 10th Economic Development Fund ((10th EDF).Also, as part of its 12-point decision, the ministers had adopted a number of reports including the Annual Report of the President of the Commission.
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