Press Release: EU and West Africa move forward on regional Economic Partnership Agreement

On 17 June, 2009, the European Union and West African countries agreed to conclude a regional agreement on trade in goods and development cooperation by October 2009. EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton and Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel, met Presidents Chambas and Cissé of the two regional organisations ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) and UEMOA (Union économique et monétaire ouest-africaine) and West African Ministers in Brussels. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to moving forward the longer term process to build a lasting partnership between the EU and West Africa.