Regulation C/REG.5/05/08 on the Adoption of the Action Plan for the Development of Biotechnology and Biosafety in the ECOWAS Region

Jurisdiction
African Regional Bodies · Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
Date
18 May 2008
Language
English
Type
Legislation
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Economic Community of West African States

Regulation C/REG.5/05/08 on the Adoption of the Action Plan for the Development of Biotechnology and Biosafety in the ECOWAS Region

The Council of Ministers,MINDFUL of Articles 10, 11 and 12 of ECOWAS Treaty as amended, establishing the Council of Ministers and defining its composition and functions;MINDFUL of Decision A/DEC.11/01/05 on the adoption of the ECOWAS Agricultural Policy;MINDFUL of Decision A/DEC.1/5/81 relating to the sections on eradication of hunger, extension of some plant and animal varieties, programme funding, research and agricultural production projects;MINDFUL of Decision C/DEC.5/5/81 relating to selected staple seeds production and to the selection of production stations;MINDFUL of Decision C/DEC.1/05/83 on short and medium term programmes on the implementation of a regional strategy for agricultural development;MINDFUL of Decision C/DEC.14/12/90 on the establishment of a seeds committee;CONSIDERING the Strategic role of the agricultural sector in the economies of ECOWAS member States in providing food to the population and reducing poverty in rural areas;CONSIDERING the necessity to promote among member States, a more productive and competitive agriculture to ensure food security and to improve the standard of living of farmers;CONVINCED that seeds are of utmost importance in the promotion of a sustainable agriculture and in the achievement of the agricultural policy of the community;ACKNOWLEDGING that regular supply to member States' markets of good quality and affordable seeds to farmers is an essential condition for achieving food security and raising living standard of farmers;RECOGNIZING FURTHER, the need to improve current seed systems and regulations on seed production, use and marketing;DETERMINED therefore to ensure access to new agricultural technologies from which biotechnologies emanate and taking into account all considerations relating to biosafety;DESIROUS to adopt, for these purposes, a fiveyear Action Plan on the development of biotechnology and biosafety in the ECOWAS region;EXPRESSING SATISFACTION at the active involvement and positive cooperation of other sub-regional institutions such as CILSS, UEMOA in the drafting, review and finalisation of this Regulation;ON THE RECOMMENDATION of the meeting of ministers in charge of agriculture and food of ECOWAS member States held in Ouagadougou on 8th November 2007;ENACTS

Article 1

The attached five-year Action Plan for the development of biotechnology and biosafety in the ECOWAS region is hereby adopted.

Article 2

This Regulation shall be published by the Community in its Official journal thirty days (30) days after the date of its signature by the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers. It shall also be published by each member State its national gazette within the same time-frame.
Done at Abuja, this 18th day of May 2008.H.E. Mrs. Minata Samate CessoumaChairperson for Council
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