Action Plan of the ECOWAS-UEMOA-CILSS West Africa Seed Committee

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2 2 Action Plan of the ECOWAS-UEMOA-CILSS West Africa Seed Committee

3 ACTION PLAN West Africa Seed Committee (COASem-CRSU) In charge of monitoring the implementation of the Harmonized Regional Seed Regulation E C O W A S - U E M O A - C I L S S 3

4 4 Action Plan of the ECOWAS-UEMOA-CILSS West Africa Seed Committee

5 2015 by CORAF/WECARD CORAF/WECARD encourages a fair use of this material. Proper citation is requested. Correct citation CORAF/WECARD (Conseil Ouest et Centre Africain pour la Recherche et le Développement Agricoles/ West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research for Development), ACTION PLAN, West Africa Seed Committee (COASem-CRSU). In charge of monitoring the implementation of the Harmonized Regional Seed Regulation ECOWAS - UEMOA - CILSS. Dakar, Senegal. Conseil Ouest et Centre Africain pour la Recherche et le Développement Agricoles West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research for Development 7 Avenue Bourguiba B P 48, CP 18523, Dakar, Senegal Tel: ; Fax: secoraf@coraf.org ISBN Edit : CORAF/WECARD - WASP/PSAO Design : INFOCOM - Alassane DIA 5

6 Dr Lapodini Marc ATOUGA, ECOWAS Commissionerin charge of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources (DAEWR) 1. It would be recalled that one of the most significant partnerships between the regional bodies (ECOW AS, UEMOA and CILSS) and CORAF/WECARD has been : lthe signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to designate CORAF/WECARD as the technical arm of ECOWAS, in the implementation of the CAADP. The MoU in 2005, has facilitated : (1) the development and effective implementation of the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Program (WAAPP) initiated in 2007; (ii) the development and adoption of the Action Plan for the integration of biotechnology in the agricultural system in the ECOWAS region since 2007, (iii) the development of the theme «Sustainable management of agricultural production systems for the Regional Agricultural Investment Plan (RAIP) in 2009 «, and (iv) the consensus in 2014, among the Organizations for the establishment of a Unique West Africa Seed Committee to assist in the implementation of the Harmonized Regional Seed Regulation. 2. The seed regulation, which is an integral part of the ECOWAS Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP), aims, inter alia, to create conditions favorable for the emergence of a strong seed industry, which is able to ensure regular and timely supply of quality seeds in sufficient quantities and at affordable prices, in the 17 countries of the sub-region. The originality of this regulation lies, undoubtedly, in his approach of reframing and clarification. The regulation gives detailed guidance on actions to be taken both by ECOWAS Member States and the ECOWAS Commission, to facilitate its implementation. 3. To effectively support the implementation of the Regulation, the ECOWAS Commission, in its quest to create favorable conditions for cooperation and pooling of resources, decided to entrust to CORAF/WECARD, the coordination and animation of the West Africa Seed Committee, for a transitional period of five years. The choice of CORAF/WECARD was based on its proven expertise and skills already mobilized for implementing the West Africa Seed Program (WASP). 4. The West Africa Seed Committee (WASC/COASem-CRSU) may be regarded as the engine for driving the emergence of a strong seed industry within the ECOWAS-UEMOA-CILSS region. The Action Plan developed will serve as a guide and a catalyst of the Committee s operation. VI

7 M. Ibrahima DIEME, UEMOA Commissioner in charge of the Department of Food Security, Agriculture, Mines and Environment (DFSAME) 1. The MoU signed between the UEMOA Commission and CORAF/WECARD in 2006 resulted in the implementation of several initiatives in the staple crop value chain, livestock and aquaculture genetic resources, and in the cotton sector. 2. Seed management occupies a dominant position in the UEMOA Agricultural Policy (UAP), the ECOWAS Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP) and CILSS Food Security Strategic Framework, with a view to reduce poverty in the region.in this perspective, each of these three Institutions have planned to intervene in the actions in the seed system, including the area of regulation. 3. The different stakeholders (ECOWAS, UEMOA and CILSS) and their technical and financial partners, therefore, acknowledged the coexistence of several regulations within the region and the complexity of implementing them. This indeed, does not only result in resource wastage, but also in inefficiency and blockages, especially when the regulatory texts are not harmonized. 4. For the smooth management of the issues relating to agricultural inputs, ECOWAS, UEMOA and CILSS realizing the complexity of implementing separate regulations, decided to move towards the use of a common approach in implementing the HARMONIZED REGIONAL SEED REGULATION. 5. The process of developing a HARMONIZED REGIONAL SEED Regulation began in 1998 in Abidjan, Cote d Ivoire where a consensus was reached in the definition of seed policies and programs to improve the production and supply of seeds in the region. This was done in two stages: firstly, between ECOWAS and UEMOA, and secondly, between ECOWAS-UEMOA and CILSS. 6. The establishment of a Unique ECOWAS-UEMOA-CILSS West Africa Seed Committee is an important step in the implementation of the Harmonized Seed Regulation in West Africa, as well as in Mauritania and Chad. For that, I congratulate the three West African Inter Governmental Organizations for achieving this great milestone. 7. In this regard, I reiterate the willingness of the UEMOA Commission, to work in synergy with ECOWAS and CILSS, and also urge stakeholders to support the effective and efficient implementation of the Harmonized Regional Seed Regulation. VII

8 Dr AdoumDjimé, Executive Secretary, CILSS 1. In 2008, CILSS signed a MoU with CORAF/WECARD on collaborative actions, which facilitated the implementation of the ECOWAS Bio-technology and Bio-safety Program, the Cereal Network, the Regional Seed Regulation and initiatives relating to drought control, resilience and food security in the region. The West Africa Seed Committee which covers the entire Sahel and the West Africa region is an integration tool that reinforces the CILSS resilience strategy in the realization of a process of harmonization of seed policies in ECOWAS-UEMOA-CILSS region. This Committee will facilitate the promotion of seed trade to increase the supply and improve the quality of seeds in our region. Thus, in carrying out its mission, the committee will contribute to food and nutritional security of the populations in the Sahel and in West Africa. 2. Aware of this challenge, CILSS has been working for several years in the harmonization of policies on agricultural inputs (pesticides, fertilizers and seeds) and biosafety in its member states. In 2006, CILSS adopted a Framework on the Convention on plant seeds. By positioning itself as a technical arm of ECOWAS and UEMOA, CILSS is now extending this initiative to all the Member States in the ECOWAS- UEMOA-CILSS region. This collaboration with sister Institutions facilitated the adoption of the Regulation on the Harmonization of Rules Governing Quality Control, Certification and Marketing of Plant Seeds and Seedlings. The Harmonized Regional Seed Regulation was adopted in 2008, by ECOWAS (C / REG.4 / 05/2008) and in 2009, by UEMOA (Regulation No. 03/2009 / CM / UEMOA). This regulation is being extended to all CILSS countries (including Mauritania and Chad), through a tripartite Convention being developed by these three Organizations. 3. In this context, the establishment of a Unique West Africa Seed Committee in charge of the implementation of the Regional Harmonized Seed Regulation in West Africa and in the Sahel is relevant and fully justified. 4. CILSS is firmly committed to working with ECOWAS, UEMOA and CORAF/WECARD to the establishment of this Committee and to support its operations. VIII

9 Dr Alexandre DEPREZ, Director, USAID West Africa Mission 1. In 2012/2013 certified seeds marketed in West Africa represented 12.5% of the potential, which was a reflection of seed use by farmers The gap between the seed demand and the actual supply, coupled with the improving favorable policy environment, provide a great opportunity for investment in the seed sector by both the public and the private sector stakeholders 2. The implementation of the ECOWAS-UEMOA-CILSS harmonized seed regulation is on the increase among the 17 Member States. For example while the average implementation level stood at 41% in 2013 it now stands at 77%. In countries, such as Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Senegal with high level of implementation, good progress in seed sector development and in the supply and use of certified seeds are on the rapid increases in recent times. 3. Continued improvement in the implementation of the regulation will be a priority of the USAID in partnership with ECOWAS, UEMOA, CILSS and CORAF/WECARD. Countries such as Liberia, Guinea Bissau, Cape Verde, Sierra Leone, Mauritania and Chad with low levels of implementation will receive special attention by strengthening their capacities to implement the regulation to ensure effective regional harmonization. 4. The USAID takes this opportunity to congratulate the ECOWAS and UEMOA Commissions, the CILSS and CORAF/WECARD Executive Secretariats and partners for making this event a reality. We wish the West Africa Seed Committee a great success in carrying out its mission in assisting and coordinating the implementation of the Harmonized Regional Seed Regulation. IX

10 Dr. Alioune Fall, Director Director General, ISRA, Senegal) 1. In the implementation of the ECOWAS Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP) within the framework of CAADP, ECOWAS designated CORAF/WECARD, through a MoU signed in 2005, as its Technical Arm for the agricultural research and development agenda. In a similar vein, the UEMOA Commission, CEMAC and CILSS signed MoU with CORAF/WECARD in 2006, 2007 and, 2008 respectively. Within this context, CORAF/WECARD as a Sub-Regional Organization under the continental umbrella of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) is implementing the CAADP Pillar IV (Improving Agriculture Research, Technology Dissemination and Adoption) with the objective, broad-based agricultural productivity, competitively and markets sustainably improved for target groups in West and Central Africa. 2. Recognizing the importance of seeds in agricultural productivity improvements, the ECOWAS Commission by a letter referenced ECWREL/010/CAER/E43/13/fne, and dated March 27, 2013, confided to CORAF/ WECARD, among other responsibilities, the coordination of the establishment of the National Seed Committees (NSCs) in the 17 ECOWAS-UEMOA-CILSS countries and the management of the West Africa Seed Committee (WASC/COASem) Secretariat for a provisional period of five years. The mission of the COASem is to assist the ECOWAS and UEMOA Commissions and CILSS in the implementation of regulations in force, related to quality control, certification and marketing of seeds and seedlings, in view of contributing to the development of the seed sector in Member States. 3. During 2014, CORAF/WECARD carried out a scoping study in the region which resulted in the development and validation of an action plan to establish the WASC/COASem-CRSU and to strengthen the National Seed Committees (NSCs) in the implementation of the regulations. The missions of these committees provide a harmonized approach for regional integration that facilitates seed marketing in West Africa. 4. CORAF/WECARD reaffirms its commitment to support the implementation of the agricultural policies of the ECOWAS, UEMOA and CILSS and for that matter, the seed policy. X

11 RESUME EXECUTIF This action plan has been developed within the general context of the weaknesses in the agricultural sector in the ECOWAS, UEMOA and CILSS countries where yields and productivity per farmer are among the lowest in the world. On the average, the region spends approximately19% of its revenue on imports of food while the agricultural sector experiences the highest proportion of people living in poverty. Seed contributes nearly 40% to yield increase and in order to realize its potential in achieving the food sovereignty objective of CAADP, ECOWAP and PAU, two key conditions must be fulfilled as follows : i) Necessity for Member States to provide in sufficient quantity, certified seeds of improved varieties ii) A legal and regulatory framework must be established in order to set a free trade area of certified seed. The ECOWAS-UEMOA-CILSS harmonized Regional Seed Regulation is one of the instruments necessary to achieve the agricultural development objectives enshrined in the agricultural policies of the ECOWAP, PAU and the CAADP. The harmonized regulation is hinged on three major axes. These are : Release and registration of new varieties of plant species and varieties in national catalogues of Member States and the Regional Catalogue (which is a compilation of of national catalogues); Quality control and certification of seeds; and Importation and exportation of seeds. The operationalization of this framework is reflected in the activities of the governing bodies:: (i) the West Africa Seed Committee, common to the three regional organizations ECOWAS, UEMOA and CILSS, (ii) the National Seed Committee (NSC) in each of the Member States of the Harmonized Regional Seed Regulations (for ECOWAS Regulation C/REG.4/05/2008and for UEMOA Regulation 03/2009/CM) harmonizing the rules governing Quality Control, Certification and Marketing of Plant Seeds and Seedlings, as a uniform law on the territory of the ECOWAS, WAEMU and CILSS States. The West Africa Seed Committee is an intergovernmental mechanism for coordinating and monitoring the application and the implementation of the seed regulatory framework. The National Seed Committee (NSC) is a national frame for dialogue of representative of stakeholders in the seed sector of each Member State. It is the technical arm of the Ministry in charge of agriculture, for all issues relating to seeds. The regional catalogue of plant species and plant varieties (WAfCPSV or CREVU) is a computerized platform for information sharing on the plant varieties, administered by the executive secretarial of the West Africa Seed Committee. This platform ensures, in real time, a permanent flow of official technical information on plant varieties, between the NSCs and the West Africa Seed Committee, and for the users of the mentioned plant varieties. The Action Plan is developed around the objectives below : i) Establish and operationalize the West Africa Seed Committee to assure the coordination and monitoring of the implementation of the Harmonized Regional Seed Regulation ii) Establish and strengthen the capacities of the NSC to implement the Regulation and those of the private seed sector, to ensure a steady supply of quality seeds in sufficient quantity at the right time and at affordable prices.. These objectives are respectively written in two and four strategic activities hinging on twelve activities or sub-activities to be implemented. Each activity is presented in the order of the description/ context, one or several results to be achieved within the framework of the proposed action, the strategy for implementation, the necessary capacity required and the Coordination/ Administration. To ensure overall consistency and sharing of experiences and best practices, a communication mechanism has been proposed. The five-year action plan for the establishment and operationalization of the West Africa Seed Committee and the NSCs has a logical framework detailed in the Appendix and budgeted for a total of US $

12 12 Action Plan of the ECOWAS-UEMOA-CILSS West Africa Seed Committee TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD ECOWAS COMMISSION...VI UEMOA COMMISSION...VII CILSS EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT...VIII USAID WEST AFRICA MISSION...IX CORAF/WECARD CHAIRMAN...X EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...11 LIST OF ACRONYMS...13 I. INTRODUCTION THE SITUATION OF AGRICULTURE IN THE ECOWAS-WAEMU-CILSS ZONE AGRICULTURAL POLICIES: ECOWAP, UAP AND CAADP ROLE OF CORAF/WECARD AND WASP THE WEST AFRICA SEED COMMITTEE: OBJECTIVES AND ATTRIBUTIONS THE NATIONAL SEED COMMITTEE: OBJECTIVES AND ATTRIBUTIONS OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES OF THE ACTION PLAN STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATION...21 II. OPERATIONALIZATION OF THE WEST AFRICA SEED COMMITTEE OPERATIONALIZATION OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT (ES) ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ES OF THE WEST AFRICA SEED COMMITTEE MONITORING, EVALUATION, SUPPORT FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION AND COORDINATION OF THE PROPOSED STRATEGIC ACTIVITIES THE IMPLEMENTATION AND COMPLIANCE WITH RULES AND STANDARDS OPINIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND PROPOSALS ON ALL MATTERS RELATING TO SEEDS COMPLETING THE APPENDIX TECHNICAL REGULATIONS AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS COLLABORATION AND INFORMATION EXCHANGE...27 III. OPERATIONALIZATION OF NATIONAL SEED COMMITTEES IMPLEMENTATION OF NASCS IN THE 17 COUNTRIES OF THE ECOWAS-UEMOA-CILSS ZONE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND JUDICIAL ACT FOR THE CREATION, ATTRIBUTIONS, ORGANIZATION, FUNCTIONING AND FINANCING OF EACH NSC STRENGTHENING THE CAPACITY OF NSC REINFORCING THE HUMAN, MATERIAL, INFRASTRUCTURE AND EQUIPMENT OF THE NATIONAL SEED SYSTEM IMPLEMENTING THE COMMUNITY REGULATION BY MEMBER STATES IMPLEMENTATION AND COMPLIANCE TO RULES AND AGREED STANDARDS OPINIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND PROPOSALS ON MATTERS RELATING TO SEEDS...32

13 TABLE OF CONTENTS 3.4 PROMOTING THE PRIVATE SEED SECTOR PROMOTE THE EMERGENCE OF A STRONG PRIVATE SEED SECTOR IN THE ECOWAS-UEMOA-CILSS REGION PUT IN PLACE INSTRUMENTS TO PROMOTE PRIVATE SEED SECTOR STRENGTHENING TECHNICAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITIES OF PRIVATE SECTOR...35 IV. BUDGET...38 V. NARRATIVE BUDGET...42 VI. VII. CHRONOGRAM...47 ANNEXE : LOG-FRAME

14 LIST OF ACRONYMS Action Plan of the ECOWAS-UEMOA-CILSS West Africa Seed Committee ASIWA : Alliance for Seed Industry in West Africa CAADP : Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program CGIAR: Consultative Group for International Agriculture Research CILSS : Permanent Inter-State Committee against Drought in Sahel CNA : Competent National Authority DUS : Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability ECEAS : Economic Community of East African States ECOWAP : ECOWAS Agriculture Policy ECOWAS : Economic Community of West African States EMCCAS : Economic and MonetaryCommunity of Central African States ES : Executive Secretariat F.CFA : Franc de la Communauté Financière Africaine FARA : Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa MIS : Market Information System MYPOW : Multi-year program of work and budget plan NAARS : National Agriculture and Agro-alimentary Research System NAD : National Agriculture Department NARS : National Agriculture Research System NFDAFL : National Fund for the Development of Agriculture, Forestry and Livestock NSC : National Seed Committee NSTA : National Seed Trade Associations OSC/SOC : Official Seed Control and Certification Service FNDASP : Fonds National de Développement Agro-Sylvo-Pastoral PPD : Plant Protection Department ROPPA : West Africa Farmer and Producer Organizations Network Réseau des Organisations Paysannes et des Producteurs de l Afrique de l Ouest SME : Small and Medium Enterprises SSC/ISU : Seed Science Center of Iowa State University SSSF : Seed Sector Support Fund TFP : Technical and Financial Partner UAP : UEMOA Agriculture Policy UPOV : International Union for the Protection of New Varieties URCSV : Regional Catalogue of Plant Species and Plant Varieties in UEMOA URSC : Union West Africa Seed Committee UEMOA US.D : USA Dollar USAID : US Agency for International Development VCU/VATE : Agronomic, Technologic and Environmental Value for Cultivation and Use WAEMU : West Africa Economic and Monetary Union WAfCPSV : West African Catalogue of Plant Species and Plant Varieties WASC : West Africa Seed Committee UEMOA : West Africa Seed Program UPOV : Union Internationale pour la Protection des Obtentions Végétales USAID : Agence des États-Unis pour le développement international US.D : Dollar des États-Unis d Amérique VATE : Valeur Agronomique, Technologique et Environnementale WASP : West Africa Seed Program WECARD : West African Counsel for Agricultural Research and Development 14

15 I. INTRODUCTION 1.1. Situation of agriculture in the ECOWAS-UEMOA-CILSS zone 1. The agriculture sector is the main driver for socio-economic development in most African countries in general, and the ECOWAS, UEMOA and CILSS countries, in particular. In the last two decades, the agricultural sector within each member state has : engaged an average of over 67% of the national population and almost 84% of rural people contributed an averageof34% to the GDP absorbed on average 10% of public investment contributed to the improvement of food security, while providing raw materials to agro-industry.. 2. Despite various policies and development strategies implemented, the sector s performance has not met expectations due to consistent trends of structural, technical, organizational, economic and financial constraints. 3. More specifically, characteristic dysfunctions of the seed systems, has impacted on the poor performance of the agriculture sector. The causal factors have included weak private sector and producer organizations, lack of transparency in the allocation/ acquisition of public procurement, insufficient human, financial and material resources for seed quality control, weak seed production systems, including collection, packaging, distribution and marketing, weak research capacity to meet breeder seed requirements, low technical and managerial capacity of private seed companies, etc. 15

16 1.2. Agricultural policies: ECOWAP, UAP and CAADP 4. Consequently, the ECOWAS and UEMOA Commissions as well as the CILSS Executive Secretariat have been involved in a process of reflection and concerted sub-regional exchange, to harmonize provisions of the seed regulation. The various workshops that had taken place for that purpose, have resulted in the formulation of seed regulations harmonizing the rules governing Quality Control, Certification and marketing of Plant Seeds and Seedlings in the ECOWAS-UEMOA-CILSS zone, adopted by the organizations authorities, according to their own procedures (2008 for ECOWAS, and 2009 for UEMOA, preceded in 2006 by the Framework Convention on Plant Seeds and Regional Consultative Framework for CILSS). This regulation stem from the regional agricultural policies (ECOWAP, UAP) which aims, among others, at creating, in the ECOWAS- UEMOA -CILSS region, favourable conditions to the emergence of a strong seed industry capable of ensuring a regular and sustainable supply of quality seeds and plants, in sufficient quantities and at affordable prices. By its legal nature, the regional seed regulation has the same effects as the national law and is directly integrated into national law, without transposition or ratification. 5. Its originality lies in the fact that a unique legal instrument governs harmoniously: production, quality control, certification process and marketing of seeds within the ECOWAS- UEMOA - CILSS Member States. It gives detailed guidance on the steps to be taken, on one hand, by the ECOWAS Commission, and, on the other hand, by the Member States, to facilitate its implementation. 6. In its configuration, the Regional Seed Regulation (with its administrative templates and related technical regulations: see Articles 57 and 58) articulates around three axes : Approval and registration of new varieties (exercise modalities and experimental protocols), including the development of national and regional catalogues (sum of national catalogues); Quality control and quality certification of plant seeds and seedlings (modalities of exercise and standards), including accreditation, and Import and export of plant seeds and seedlings (modalities of exercise and standards), including trade issues. 7. The specific objectives of the implementation of the regulation are (see Article 2.3): i) Facilitate the local production of quality seeds; ii) Facilitate seed trade between Member States through the implementation of regionally agreed on principles and rules, to minimize trade barriers; iii) Facilitate farmers access to quality seeds at the right time and place; iv) Create a favourable environment for private investment in the seed industry; v) Facilitate the increase in the number of crop varieties available to farmers; vi) Promote partnership between the public sector and the private sector. 16

17 1.3. Role of CORAF/WECARD and WASP Summary presentation 8. In the implementation of ECOWAS Common Agriculture Policy(ECOWAP) in harmony with the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP), ECOWAS in 2005, through an Agreement protocol, designated CORAF/WECARD, as its technical arm with regard to Agriculture Research and Development. In that same vein, UEMOA, the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) and CILSS signed Agreements with CORAF/ WECARD respectively in 2006, 2007 and It is within this context that CORAF/ WECARD, as a regional organization, is implementing the CAADP Pillar 4. The latter is related to the improvement of agriculture research, the dissemination and adoption of technologies; for the sustainablee improvement of productivity and competitiveness of agriculture markets for target groups in West and Central Africa 9. Furthermore, the ECOWAS Commission has negotiated and obtained from the USAID Mission in West Africa, the financing of a seed program for West Africa (West Africa Seed Program, WASP/ PSAO), to support the implementation of the Community seed regulations, coordinated by CORAF/WECARD. The program aims at increasing the availability of seeds from a current rate of 12% to 25% at the end of the five year project ( ). The activities are fully implemented in seven countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal), and cover all 15 Member States of ECOWAS (plus the two CILSS members which do not belong to ECOWAS, i.e. Mauritania and Chad)in the implementation of the Community Seed Regulation. 10. The expected results of WASP are: (i) Alliance for a Seed Industry in West Africa, ASIWA implemented. The implementation of the Alliance will facilitate sharing of experiences, mutualising resources and working in synergy, within the sub-region (or country) to achieve the common goal of developing the seed sector, while minimizing duplication of efforts; (ii) a regional seed policy, effectively implemented and facilitating seed trade among the ECOWAS-UEMOA-CILSS Member States, and minimizing trade barriers; (iii) national agricultural research systems (NARS) which have the capacity to produce pre-basic and sufficient seeds of standard quality to meet the demand; (iv) a strong Regional Private Sector, able to ensure a steady supply of basic and certified seeds, in sufficient quantity, at the right time and at affordable prices. Thus, the WASP assumes leadership of seed industry development in the ECOWAS- UEMOA-CILSS region. 17

18 11. In the context of the implementation of WASP, with regards to the skills displayed in the program, the ECOWAS Commission decided, through the memorandum No. ECWREL/010/CAER/E43/13/fne, dated March , to entrust the CORAF/ WECARD with the coordination of the implementation of the National Seed Committees (NSC) in the 17 ECOWAS-UEMOA-CILSS countries and the management of the Executive Secretariat of the West Africa Seed Committee (WASC), for a period of five (05) years. 12. The Meeting of the Consortium of WASP partners, held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on December 13 and , recommended making further reflections to agree on an implementation approach of the ECOWAS- UEAMOA-CILSS harmonized Seed Regulation. In this context, two working sessions were held on January 31 and November , at the UEMOA Commission headquarters with the participation of UEMOA, CILSS and ECOWAS, with the later represented by CORAF/WECARD. These meetings resulted in recommendations and a roadmap to move the process forward. Among the recommendations were the agreement to establish a single CILSS-ECOWAS-UEMOA West Africa Seed Committee, instead of two,(the West Africa Seed Committee (WASC) for the Regulation adopted by ECOWAS and the Union West Africa Seed Committee (CRSU) adopted by the UEMOA). The mission of the West Africa Seed Committee is the same as the one assigned to WASC (Article 10.1, C/REG.4/05/2008 -ECOWAS) or CRSU (Article 81.1, Regulation No. 03/2009/CM - UEMOA). The Action Plan developed initially for the establishment and operationalization of WASC was revisited to accommodate these new developments. 18

19 1.4. The West Africa Seed Committee : Objectives and attributions 13. In accordance with Articles 10 and 81, referred to in the preceding paragraph, the West Africa Seed Committee is responsible for assisting the ECOWAS and UEMOA Commissions and the CILSS Executive Secretariat in coordinating and monitoring the implementation of the current regulation with regards to the production, quality control, certification and marketing of plants seeds and seedlings, so as to contribute to the development of the seed sector in the ECOWAS- UEMOA-CILSS region. 14. n the framework of its mission, the West Africa Seed Committee has the responsibility to : i) Ensure compliance and enforcement of the rules and standards of the production, quality control, certification and marketing of seeds; ii) Issue opinions and recommendations and make proposals on all matters related to seeds, including the organization and the update of the Regional Catalogue1 of Species and Varieties common to the ECOWAS-UEMOA- CILSS Member States (WAfCPSV & CREVU); iii) Define the technical requirements for the preparation of registration files; iv) Ensure collaboration and exchange of information between Official Control Services and Seed Certification in the Member States; v) Monitor the organization and management of Official Control Services and Seed Certification in the ECOWAS-UEMOA-CILSS zone LThe National Seed Committees: Objectives and attributions 15. In accordance with Articles 10 and 81, referred to in the preceding paragraph, the West Africa Seed Committee works closely with the National Seed Committees in the development of the seed sector. Thus, each Member State establishes a National Seed Committee (NSC) and a Seed Sector Support Fund (SSSF). 16. As far as seeds are concerned, NSCs are the technical arm of both the Agriculture Ministries and the West Africa Seed Committee. The function, organization, operation and financing of the NSC are specified in the administrative act (decree) which establishes them. The composition of each NSC is limited to representatives of national stakeholders in the seed sector. Each NSC is chaired by the Minister responsible for Agriculture or his representative and the Secretary is the head of the Official Seed Quality Control and Certification Service. 17. Given the diversity of on-going seed initiatives in the Region, it is imperative to implement and operationalize the West Africa Seed Committee coherently with these initiatives to ensure consistency and avoid duplication. 19

20 1.6. Objectives and strategies of the Action Plan Objectives of the Action Plan 18. With regards to what has preceded, the Plan s objectives are to : a) Make operational the West Africa Seed Committee so as to enable it to carry out its mission; b) Strengthen the capacity of NSCs, to implement community seed regulation in accordance with the dispositions agreed upon in the Region and the ones taken by the private seed sector to ensure the sustainable development of the sector. Strategies of the Plan 19. In addition to on-going activities in the WASP, the Action Plan for the implementation and operationalization of the West Africa Seed Committee, include the following : i) Implementation of the West Africa Seed Committee s Executive Secretary Office (recruitment of staff, acquisition of machinery and equipment, operation, etc.); ii) Monitoring, evaluation, support for implementation and coordination of all proposed strategic actions (compliance and implementation of regional rules and standards agreed upon, notice of issuance, counseling and proposals on any matter relating to the seed sector, completion of appendix technical regulations and other relevant documents, management of the Official Seed Quality Control and Certification Service, communication strategy, etc.); iii) Support the NSC functioning (reinforcement of technical, human, material, infrastructural and budgetary capacity); iv) Strategic activities to be implemented by the West Africa Seed Committee and NSC so as to promote the emergence of a strong private seed sector within the ECOWAS-UEMOA-CILSS region. 20. Each proposed strategic activity is a set of headings or sections which are intended to facilitate the presentation of the activity. Some recommendations may be included in the various headings. Although no strict definition of the sections is necessary, some explanations may be helpful : a) The Background section provides the rationale for the proposed strategic action and summarizes the progress made since 2012, mainly on the basis of baseline studies. b) The Objectives section specifies the ultimate and intermediate objectives to achieve in the proposed action. The explicit articulation of objectives can help the ECOWAS-UEMOA-CILSS Member States evaluate the progress made over the years in the implementation of the proposed strategic action. c) The Policy/Strategy section suggests policies and/or strategic, national and regional approaches to achieve the strategic objectives of the proposed action. In some cases, the recommendations relate to new regional policies. In other cases, the proposals aim at changes in the approach, priorities or perspectives.. d) The Capacity section indicates the human and institutional capabilities that should be developed or provided through the implementation of the proposed strategic action.. e) The Coordination/Administration section shows how the above issues can be addressedin the effective execution of the action plan. It is primarily limited to the national level to avoid repetition. Furthermore, the need to intensify collaboration between the West Africa Seed Committee and NSC, and to increase information sharing between all the Official Seed Quality Control and Certification Service and stakeholders, applies to all activities in the action plan. Cooperation among the NSCs, through the Official Seed Quality Control and Certification Services is fundamental in order to share the successes and experiences among them. 20

21 1.7. Structure and Organization 21. Strategic actions outlined above helped formulate the action plan below. For the sake of convenience and understanding, strategic actions outlined in this plan can be considered as projects to be executed both by the West Africa Seed Committee and the NSC Secretariats using the principle of subsidiarity. Strategic action related to administrative, organizational and infrastructural capacities are the support base for the achievement of relevant activities: i) The mission and functions of the West Africa Seed Committee and of its Executive Secretary (monitoring, evaluation, coordination and support); ii) The attributions of NSC (compliance and implementation of regional rules and standards agreed upon, notice of issuance, counseling and proposals on any matter related to the seed sector, management of the Official Seed Quality Control and Certification Service communication, strategy, etc.). II. Operationalization of the West Africa Seed Committee 2.1. Operationalization of the Executive Secretariat (ES) Establishment of the ES of the West Africa Seed Committee 22. Backgoud : As a result of its achievements in the coordination of seed activities as part of the WASP, ECOW AS has confided to CORAF/WECARD the coordination of setting up of NSCs in 17 countries and the animation of the Executive Secretary of the West Africa Seed Committee. ECOWAS, UEMOA and CILSS agreed upon the creation of only one West Africa Seed Committee instead of two, WASC and URSC. 23. Policy/strategy : Administrative and financial actions must be implemented on the basis of a provisional budget for : Staff recruitment (Permanent Secretary, Assistant and driver) ; Rental of office space ; The acquisition of materials and equipment (vehicles, projector, etc.) ; The functioning of the Executive Secretariat (telephone, water, electricity, internet, etc.) Consultancy services. 24. Capacity : Capacity reinforcement actions could be carried out when needed. 25. Coordination / administration : On behalf of the ECOWAS and UEMOA Commissions and CILSS Executive Secretary, CORAF/WECARD coordinates through the WASP, the implementation and animation of the Executive Secretariat of the West Africa Seed Committee during a transitional five year period. 21

22 2.2. Monitoring, evaluation, support for the implementation and coordination of the proposed strategic activities Ensure the implementation and compliance with rules and standards agreed upon regionally 26. Background : Article 2, paragraph 1 of Regulation C/REG.4/05/2008 of ECOWAS, states that the object of the Regional Seed Regulation is the harmonization of rules and standards governing quality control, certification and marketing of plant seeds and seedlings. In paragraph 3, it indicates the specific objectives of this harmonization, namely : i) to facilitate the local production of quality seeds; ii) to facilitate seed trade between Member States through the implementation of regionally agreed upon principles and rules that minimize trade barriers; iii) to facilitate farmers access to quality seeds in suitable time and place ; iv) to create a favourable environment for private investment in the seed industry ; v) to facilitate the increase of available seed choices for farmers ; vi) to promote partnership between the public sector and the private sector. 27. By ensuring the implementation and enforcement of regionally agreed upon rules and standards, the ECOWAS Member States create the necessary conditions for the development of national and regional seed sectors by establishing trust among States and facilitating Seed movement. 28. Objective : to ensure that regionally agreed upon rules and standards, which are the basis of the harmonization of operations related to the registration of plant varieties in the catalogue, to quality control and certification and to the import/export of seeds are respected and enforced. 29. Policy / strategy : To apply and respect the regionally agreed upon rules and standards, Member States need to use the regional regulation. This requires strengthening of capacities in terms of release of varieties, development of the official catalogue, quality control and seed certification, phytosanitary certification (compliance with specified phytosanitary requirements of importing countries and prevention against the entrance and spread of quarantine pests. Field audits will assess the status of implementation at the end of capacity strengthening interventions. 30. Capacity : The first beneficiaries of this capacity strengthening interventions are: seed producers, storekeepers and conditioning agents, plant breeders for variety registration, controllers and inspectors, staff of seed testing and laboratory analyses, other licensed persons for quality control and certification of seeds, and control officers at borders for phytosanitary certification. 31. Thus, these stakeholders will be interviewed during the monitoring missions, to ensure the effectiveness of the NSC and the Regional Committee. 32. Training programs would be coordinated by the ES of the West Africa Seed Committee, through the WASP task force composed by seed experts, supported by resource persons and the Seed Sciences Center of Iowa State University (SSC/ISU) depending on the subject. These trainings will aim at ensuring a harmonized monitoring of operations for the implementation of the regional regulation by State regulators within the ECOWAS-UE- MOA- CILSS region. They also offer opportunities to sensitize stakeholders of the national seed system on implementation arrangements of the regulation. They are always planned and organized at the demand and in collaboration with the Agriculture ministry through its departments (NARS, the Official Seed Quality Control and Certification Service, National Directorate Agriculture, Plant Protection and Regulatory Service, etc.). Monitoring of the implementation facilitates the measurement of impact. 22

23 33. Coordination / administration : the NSC and ES of the West Africa Seed Committee coordinate the monitoring through the organization of periodic monitoring missions among the stakeholders of the national seed systems and through the organization of annual review and statutory meetings To issue opinions, recommendations and proposals on all matters relating to seeds, including the organization of the Regional Catalogue of Plant Species and Varieties common to the countries of the ECOWAS-UEMOA-CILSS (WAfCPSV or CREVU) 34. Background : The West Africa Seed Committee is an advisory body of the ECOWAS and UEMOA Commissions and CILSS Executive Secretariat. As such, it provides the most appropriate responses to seed related issues so that Public Authorities can decide in accordance with the Regional approach. 35. The recognition of the harmonization approach is essential for the development of the regional catalogue which is a sum of national catalogues. The standardized configuration of the national catalogues facilitates the development and exploitation of the Regional Catalogue. In addition to the principles and rules of the DUS technical examination, the VCU assessment protocols and the software management of catalogue data, a procedure manual has been developed, which shall be used during training sessions to facilitate catalogue development and variety registration. 36. The same principle applies to the quality control operations, seed certification and phytosanitary certification. Implementation approaches of the Regulations are agreed upon norms and the procedure manuals, which are didactic tools to ensure that harmonization happens. 37. Objective : to promote better decision making by policy makers and greater ownership of seed regulations. 38. Policy /strategy : AThrough the training sessions, particularly with regard to registration of plant varieties in the national catalogue, the West Africa Seed Committee encourages NSCs to respect agreed upon procedures for registration, namely: (i) the constitution and the maintenance of reference collections of plant varieties or, (ii) the conduct of technical examination of distinctness, uniformity and stability of the characters (DUS) of eligible varieties, according to the guidelines of the International Union for the Protection of New Plants Varieties (UPOV), (iii) the conduct of agronomic, technological and environmental test on value for cultivation and use (VCU) of eligible varieties, according to agreed experimental protocols (multi-year and multi-location trials), for the 11 priority crops, by Experts of within the Community, and finally, (iv) the use of catalogue data management software, including the updating of the regional database, to avoid the registration of existing varieties in the country or within the Community, (v) the updating and regular editing of the Regional Catalogue of Plant Species and Varieties. 39. The same applies to quality control process and seed certification, phytosanitary certification and trade. 40. Concerning quality control and certification of seeds, the West Africa Seed Committee encourages the recognition of provisions related to: (i) admission control, (ii) organization of seed production (iii) conditions of production, (iv) control in the field, (v) laboratory analysis and tests of seeds, (vi) preparation and packaging, including 23

24 labelling and tagging of seed, (vii) control of certified seed lots. 41. Concerning phytosanitary certification, the West Africa Seed Committee encourages compliance with Regulations on seed import and export. The West Africa Seed Committee will accompany countries to develop and/or update their lists of quarantine pests. 24

25 42. Regarding seed trade, the West Africa Seed Committee encourages NSC to comply with the provisions of Title IV of Seed Regulation C/REG.4/05/2008 related to seed marketing. 43. Capacity : Based on the needs expressed by the NSCs, a training plan is developed for each country to improve the understanding of the regional seed regulation and therefore improve performance in their functions as advisory bodies on seed issues. 44. Coordination / administration : Training is provided by the Executive Secretariat of the West Africa Seed Committee, through the WASP Task Force, including experts in the field of seed, supported by resource persons and the Seed Science Centre of Iowa State University (SSC/ISU). These training of trainers sessions are conducted in close collaboration with the Agriculture ministry through its departments (NARS, the Official Seed Quality Control and Certification Service, National Directorate Agriculture, Plant Protection and Regulatory Service, etc.) Completing the appendix technical regulations and other relevant documents 45. Background : Drafts of related technical regulations were elaborated by the ECOWAS and UEMOA Commissions and CILSS Executive Secretariat with respect to Articles 56 and 58 of the ECOWAS- UEMOA-CILSS Regulation respectively. They include : i) Additional technical regulations related to production modalities, quality control and seed certification. These drafts, validated by regional experts must be adopted by the ECOWAS and UEMOA Commissions and CILSS Executive Secretariat ii) Organization of the Regional Catalogue of Plant Varieties and Species (West African Catalogue of Plant Species and Varieties WAfCPSV or Regional Catalogue of Plant Species and Varieties in the Union - URCSV). 46. Furthermore, the arrangements of the Regional Regulation concerning the import and export of seeds, the ECOWAS and UEMOA Commissions and CILSS Executive Secretariat have not developed a technical regulation. The latter must be done by taking into account the No /CM regulation on the safety of plants, animals and food within UEMOA Procedure manuals have been elaborated by the ECOWAS and UEMOA Commissions and by CILSS Executive Secretary, for the : (i) Registration of eligible varieties in the national catalogue of plant species and varieties; (ii) Quality control and seed certification, including accreditation. These manuals need to be finalized, mainly the seed import and export Manual, with the insertion of the regional list of quarantine pests in the ECOWAS-UEMOA-CILSS region. The finalization of these manuals consists of adapting them to specific conditions in each country in the ECOWAS-UEMAO-CILSS region - the substance remains the same for all countries Objective : to make available all instruments (technical regulations, procedure manuals, software management of catalogue data, etc.) necessary for effective and harmonized approaches in the implementation of the Regional Seed Regulation. 49. Policy/strategy : alongside its own competencies, the Executive Secretariat of the West Africa Seed Committee will depend on the expertise of consultants to execute some tasks. This may involve the revision of the two drafts: (i) the technical regulation appendix (quality control standards) and (ii) technical regulations on the organization of regional catalogue, to be available in three languages (English, French and Portuguese) and submitted to the ECOWAS and UEMOA Commissions and to CILSS Executive Secretariat for adoption and dissemination to Member States. For the executive regulation on import and export, it will be developed and made available in three languages before submission for adoption. 25

26 50. The finalization of procedure manuals involves organizing a regional workshop of experts per manual. 51. The executive regulation of June , related to the organization, functioning and financing of WAfCPSV/ CREVU also need to be reviewed to become the executive regulation of the West Africa Seed Committee within the ECOWAS-UEMOA-CILSS region. 52. Capacity : These documents are the basis for training courses to ensure mastery by regulators. These are: (i) the breeders that conduct DUS and VCU trials which are required for the registration of any variety eligible to be included in the catalogue of plant species and varieties, (ii) controllers and inspectors in charge of seed quality control and certification and, (iii) officers at borders or phytosanitary controllers (National Office for Plant Protection/ Quarantine Service), in charge of preventing the entry and spread of quarantine pests in each country. 53. Coordination / administration : the completion of the executive rules and other relevant technical documents is accomplished under the coordination of the ES of the West Africa Seed Committee, by consultants, the WASP Task Force and the Seed Science Centre of Iowa State University (SSC/ ISU).At the National level, ministries and their departments are involved. The documents adopted are transmitted to the ECOWAS and UEMOA Commissions and the CILSS Executive Secretariat for dissemination to the Member States. All the expected regulatory texts, relevant for the implementation of the West Africa Seed Committee are as follows: i) Technical regulation related to the organization of the Regional Catalogue of Plant Species and varieties (WAfCPSV/CREVU) ; ii) Regulation related to appendix technical regulation regarding production modalities, quality control, and seed certification. iii) Technical regulation related to seed import and export modalities; iv) Procedure manual for the registration of varieties in the national catalogue / the regional catalogue of species and plant varieties; v) Procedure manual for quality control, seed certification and accreditation; vi) Procedure manual for seed import and export; vii) Regulation related to organization, functioning and financing of the Regional Seed Committee viii) Internal Rules of Regional Seed Committee. 26