G/SPS/GEN/1718  
5 July 2019 
(19-4491) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original:  French  
 
  
75TH REGULAR SESSION OF THE WTO SPS COMMITTEE  
COMMUNICATION BY THE ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF  
CENTRAL AFRICAN STATES (ECCAS)  
The following communication, dated 4 July 2019, is being circulated at the request of  ECCAS . 
 
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1  ROLE OF ECCAS IN THE PROCESS TO DEVELOP THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR  
1.1.  The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) comprises 11 members : Angola, 
Burundi , Cameroon, the Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Congo, the Democratic Republic of 
the Congo (DRC) , Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda  and Sao Tome and Princip e. It is the only 
organization that shares its borders with all similar subregional institutions, which, together, 
constitute the main pillars of th e African Union . 
1.2.  As regards the development of the agricultural sector, ECCAS is proceeding with the roll -out of 
the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme  (CAADP) . It has already 
implemented  the Common Agricultural Policy and its main offs hoot, the Regional Agricultural 
Investment Programme for Food and Nutrition Security (PRIASAN) and related projects , as well as 
platforms of the stakeholders participating in the implementation of these initiatives . Such platforms 
include:  
− the Regional Cou ncil for Agriculture, Food and Nutrition (CRAAN) ; 
− CAADP country and regional teams ; 
− national and regional platforms for the development of the livestock sector;  
− the Regional Platform of Farmers' Organizations in Central Africa (PROPAC).  
1.3.  It should be noted that , as part of this process,  ECCAS receives technical assistance from the 
Food and Agricultural Organization ( FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health ( OIE), 
the United  States Department of Agriculture – Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 
(USDA -APHIS ), the New Partnership for Africa 's Development (NEPAD) Agency , the African Union – 
Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU -IBAR) , the Inter -African Phytosanitary Council  (CPI), 
the West and Central  African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD), 
and many other organizations that are involved in the development of the rural sector.  
1.4.  Several projects were carried out  as part of the implementation of the CAADP , including:  
− two phases of the Participation of African Nations in Sanitary and Phytosanitary 
Standard -setting Organizations (PANSPSO) project ; and 
− the African Veterinary Governance Programme (VET – GOV).  
1.5.  The PANSPSO project has allowed for the establishment of SPS commit tees in all ECCAS 
countries , including at the regional level.  
1.6.  In addition to the strengthening of veterinary services in the member States, the VET – 
GOV Programme , has allowed for the creation of the Central African Regional Animal Health Centre 
(RSA – AC). G/SPS/GEN/1718  
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  1.7.  The process to improve the institutional environment of and, in particular, to restructure, 
ECCAS, is under way, which will enable it to carry out its missions . Ultimately, this action will serve 
to: 
− increase the quantity and improve the quality of the agricultural production of member 
countries;  
− enable more active participation in the activities of standard -setting organizations ; 
− enhance inter - and intra -regional trade through the effective implementation of a 
continental free trade area ; 
− improve the collection of statistical information and the management of knowledge of 
the agricultural sector, and develop advocacy to promote this sector of activity.  
2  ACTIVITIES OF THE REGIONAL SPS COMMITTEE  
2.1.  Since its creation, the Regional SPS Committee has established:  
− a focal point on plant health ; and 
− a focal point on animal health.  
2.2.  A Codex Alimentarius focal point is needed to  complete the core mechanism comprising  the 
three sister organizations of the SPS Committee of the WTO, that is,  the Internation al Plant 
Protection Convention (IPPC), the OIE and Codex Alimentarius.  
2.3.  The functioning of the SPS Committee has been suspended due to the current restructuring of 
ECCAS.  
2.4.  However, it should be noted that several activities have been carried out since Octobe r 2018 
and can be summarized as follows:  
2.1  Activit ies of the focal point on plant health  
2.5.  Activities were carried out to:  
− resolve recurring institutional issues that had been  dispersing energies and had been  
undermining the effectiveness of phytosanitary interventions in the subregion;  
− control the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda ) following recommendations issued 
at the meeting in Kinshasa in July 2017; 
− establish a consultation and coordination platform f or phytosanitary questions from the 
national plant protection organizations in Central Africa , following recommendations 
issued during the regional workshop held on the matter in August  2018 in Douala in 
Cameroon;  
− hold the first annual meeting of the Regional Taskforce of national plant protection 
organizations and partners in Central Africa from 18 to 20 June 2019 in Douala in 
Cameroon.  These activities aimed to:  
o allow for discussions on priority phytosanitary issu es in countries and in the 
subregion;  
o review the status of implementation of the action plan  2018-20 of the 
Taskforce and identify the priority actions to be undertaken;  
o follow up on the process to attach the Taskforce to ECCAS ; 
o examine and discuss the SPS  issues encountered in the countries in the 
context of trade in agricultural products.  
2.6.  The main recommendations issued during the first meeting of this Taskforce were as follows:  
− to encourage the member States of ECCAS to take into consideration the commitments 
undertaken  in Malabo when developing national and regional strategies to build 
phytosanitary capacity;  
− to particip ate effectively in the development of regulations and in the  work of the 
Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) ; 
− to grant the same level of importance to phytosanitary issues as public health issues;  
− to build the capacity of the staff in national plant protection organizations with regard 
to monitoring, inspect ion, the diagnosis of harmful organisms, risk assessment and 
phytosanitary certification;  G/SPS/GEN/1718  
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  − to implement the obligations of the IPPC ; 
− to implement and operationalize the electronic phytosanitary certification system in 
each country ; and 
− to update, harmonize and validate phytosanitary laws and regulations.  
2.2  Activit ies of the focal point on animal health  
2.7.  The main activities carried out by the focal point on animal health involved:  
− the implementation of a health monitoring system at the regional level to monitor the 
evolution of cross -border animal diseases, particularly avian flu;  
− follow -up to the operationalization of the Regional Animal Health Centre of Central Africa 
through the signing of a headquarters agreement on 2 4 January  2019 in N'Djamena 
between ECCAS and  Chad, which is the host country of the institution ; 
− participation in the mission to follow up on the OIE's Performance of Veterinary Services 
(PVS) Pathway in Chad, which took place from 7 to 2 0 January  2019; 
− follow -up to the process to b uild the capacity of food control laboratories and the Food 
Quality Control Centre (CECOQDA) based in N'Djamena in Chad; 
− participation in the final stages of the development of the Regional Disease Surveillance 
Systems Enhancement (REDISSE 4) Project for Ce ntral Africa, which will be financed by 
the World Bank . 
3  PARTICIPATION OF ECCAS IN THE MEETINGS OF THE WTO SPS COMMITTEE  
3.1.  ECCAS was unable to participate in the statutory meetings of the WTO SPS Committee, despite 
its observer status . This was due to the res tructuring process which is under way and which hinders 
the proper conduct of its essential functions.  
3.2.  ECCAS there fore wishes to thank AU -IBAR for the opportunity to participate in the 75th regular 
session of the WTO SPS Committee , which will ensure that it will not lose  its observer status and 
will enable it to resume regulatory activities . 
4  OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION  
4.1.  It is important to note the upcoming implementation  of the Regional Project for the Promotion 
of Youth Entrepreneurship in Central Africa (PREJAC) , which is structuring in nature and will allow 
for the strengthening of the  organi zational and operational structure of the SPS Regional Committee.  
4.2.  In the same vein, th e launch of the REDISSE4  Project in the coming months will allow for the 
implementation  and strengthening  of the One Health Platform, and will bolster the activities of the 
SPS Regional Committee of ECCAS.  
4.3.  In April 2018, the ECCAS General Secretariat signe d an agreement with the 
African  Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO).  
4.4.  The completion of the institutional reform which  is under way in ECCAS , and which will 
strengthen the Department and Services responsible for agriculture,  will certainly  represent a new 
start for and will improve the functioning of the Regional SPS Committee.  
 
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