Little notes on the story of African Caribbean Pacific – European Union agreements

Treaty of Rome 1957- It was this treaty that associated trade and commerce of manyACP countries with Europe until independence occurred

Yaoundé I and II 1963, 1969

Lomé I 1975 - Had a focus on agriculture development and infrastructure financing, it introduced STABEX (a system for guaranteeing agricultural revenues)

Lomé II 1980 – More profound, it introduced SYSMIN, a trade mechanism for mining products

Lomé III 1985 – it introduced a political dimension, it also added aid efficiency

Lomé IV 1990 – reinforced the political dimension, it introduced the principle of conditionality

Cotonou 2000 - It tried to take into account the importance of new actors in the international system. This new deal tried to fight the disinterest of the EU regarding Africa in detriment of central and eastern Europe

Economic Partnership Agreements 2008 - Cotonou has been substituted by Economic Partnership Agreements since it expired in 2007 in countries like the Cote d’Ivoire. A regional deal was aspired to but failed so these EPAs are currently temporary and bilateral in nature.

Generally, the upsides of these trade agreement with the EU for developing countries are greater competitiveness, greater fluxes of EU investment and greater volumes of commerce. The downside usually resides with the opening up of markets to EU products and the possible inability of local commerce and industry to compete with these imports.

Port Autonome d’Abidjan

Details

B.P.V. 85 Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire Tel. : +22521238000
Fax: +22521238185
Website : http://www.paa-ci.org/
Contact Email: ct-cic@paa-ci.org
Sector: Shipping Industry

Ile Boulay expansion – A natural step for turning Abidjan into “Africa’s Roterdam”

Since its creation in 1950, the Port of Abidjan has not stopped developing at a sustainable rhythm through hard work and the pursuit of a common purpose. Every year, close to 5700 vessels share a freight of 116 million of containers transported around the globe. At the same time, vessels transporting more than 2500 of these containers cannot dock at any of West Africa’s Ports due to technical reasons. Recognizing this reality and to reinforce the development policy of its country, President Gbagbo has made the extension of the Port of Abidjan one of its top priorities. It was such spirit that fostered the development of an international hub for container transshipment at ile Boulay. An ambitious project kick started on the 11 June 2008 with the laying of the first stone by the President. As the facilities of the Vridi terminal reach saturation, expansion becomes necessary. The ile Boulay extension is simultaneously integrated in a wider strategy to equip the coastal strip where other significant investments are also being made in, for example, the refining and petrochemical industries. While living up to the highest environmental standards the ile de Boulay project is set to create Africa’s Rotterdam thanks to a unique determination to look ahead and anticipate.

The first strip of 600 m long, representing between 2 and 3 docking units, will be operational in 2012. This extension amounts to doubling the traffic capacity for containers and adequately suits the evolving needs of the shipping industry in the bay of Abidjan. Three kilometers of wharf and a water depth of up to 15 meters together with state-of-the-art container transshipment interfaces will make the terminal of ile Boulay of the largest maritime destinations in Africa. The PAA will be able to deal with up to 3 million containers per year. Thanks to the ile Boulay extension at the PAA, already the leader of its kind in West Africa, is set to double its technical capacities. Ile Boulay is the latest stage in the constant evolution and reinvention of the PAA since its inception in 1950. The project is also integrated one into the wider development policy of Abidjan and Cote d’Ivoire. It is much more than a simple extension. It will bring to Abidjan a 400 hectare Commercial and Industrial free zone and a large number of associated transport infrastructures as well as an additional second fishing Port. Quality staff together with a continuous investment in state-of-the art port infrastructures has equipped the Abidjan Port Authority with the largest traffic reception capacity in the African Sub-region. The Port of Abidjan is the economic beating heart of Côte d’Ivoire, providing the lifeblood of its commercial exchanges.

The authorities of SETV (Societe d’Exploitation du Terminal a Conteneurs de Vridi) of the Bollore group have now started to adapt their structures to the new demands. The equivalent to fourty nine million Euros have already been invested since 2003 in human resources training, particularly in the area of security. More than 300 workers of the terminal have already benefited from this effort and in the next three years another 50 billion CFA are set to be invested.

Current capacity of the Vridi Container Terminal
• Length : 960 metres
• Surface : 27 hectares
• Draught : 12 metres


Capacity of the Future ile Boulay expansion
• Length : 1500 metres
• Surface : 60 hectares
• Draught : 15 metres


The Confidence of AFAQ Certification

Security has always been the first priority of the PAA. Even during the strongest periods of crisis in 2004, the PAA received its ISPS certification in July 2004. Now, with the resolution of the conflict thanks to the Ouagadougou accords of March 2007, a positive economic outset arises for investments and commercial exchanges with and through the Côte d’Ivoire. On the 2nd of January 2008 the PAA obtained the ISO 9001/2000 certificate awarded by “AFAQ-AFNOR”. Such credential is the most recognizable guarantee for partners and costumers looking for ports complying only with the highest international standards and requirements when it comes to: • Scheduling • Inspection and Regulation • Inner Pilotage and Towage • Mooring • Vessel security and safety • Outer Pilotage and Towage After its ISPS (International Ship and Port Facilities Security) security standards certification on July 2004, the AFAQ-AFNOR guarantee on vessel reception shows just how much the Abidjan Port Authority and its staff value a permanent effort to offer quality services to our numerous customers and partners.

Constant improvement in service and performance

Always seeking to cut down on expendable expenses and maximize cost-effectiveness, the PAA has managed to decrease the waiting times in the Port by: 1 day for the container-carriers; 1,2 days for the roro; 2,9 days for cargo ships; and 1,5 days for oil tankers. In effect, the Port does not charge its costumers on a daily basis anymore but it on an hourly basis, another evidence of flexibility and shorter idle periods.


A broad and comprehensive Economic Development Strategy

Beyond the new ile Boulay terminal, the creation of a Commercial and Industrial Free Trade Zone will bring added-value to the Port. At the same time, government will continue to make the necessary investments to complement the Port, namely by building a bridge crossing the lagoon and connecting the Port to the highway of the North through the Yopougon commune – Laurent Gbagbo Bridge. This bridge will link the new extension of ile Boulay to the national and regional route networks. Most importantly, it will allow hinterland operators of the PAA to access more easily the new terminal without having to pass through the centre of Abidjan. In addition, access roads as well as electricity and water infrastructures will continue to be improved.

Conversely, the importance of the operations of the PAA goes much beyond the borders of Côte d’Ivoire. The activities of the PAA have an obvious regional impact and its future evolution is closely knitted to the economic fate of West Africa in general and Côte d’Ivoire’s hinterland neighbors in particular. A whole group of transport infrastructure serves the Port of Abidjan effectively linking it to its neighbors: railway to Burkina Faso; roads to Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Ghana; and the Abidjan-Yamoussoukro motorway, soon to be extended all the way to the north of Côte d’Ivoire. The proximity of the Abidjan International Airport complements this multimodal transport platform.

The challenge of continuous improvement is here today, a test which the authorities of the PAA as well as key private and public actors of Côte d’Ivoire want to pass with distinction. The ile de Boulay endeavor will allow the port of Abidjan to remain tomorrow, as today, an international reference for quality and reliability.

SIR – Societé Ivoirienne de Raffinage

SIR is the first industrial company of the Cote d’Ivoire when it comes to yearly revenues. It is a member of the SOLOMON (International club for comparing the performance of refineries around the world).
Production Capacity SIR produces about 4000000 tonnes a year. It is responsible for refining brut oil and other oil products of Cote d’Ivoire.

Mission of SIR:
- produce oil products for the Ivorian market and for exporting
- assure energy security of Cote d’Ivoire
- be the service station for West Africa

Origin of refined products:
Heavy products:
From the Cote d’Ivoire (Baobab)
From Nigeria (Forcados, Bonga and Antan)

Light products:
Cote d’Ivoire (Lion, Espoir)
Nigeria (Bonny Light, Escravos, Obe, Erha, Abo)

List of products

Butane
Gas Super without lead
Jet A1
Oil Gas
Distilled diesel oil
Fuel oil180 and 380
Heavy vacuum oil

The signing of the Côte d’Ivoire-European Union Economic Partnership Agreement

The drivers of the economic growth of ECOWAS area are, among others, employment and investment. The potential is there with a market of 300 million people, vast natural riches and considerable geostrategic importance. For now and after some markedly turbulent years with political conflict around the whole region, ECOWAS now seeks above all stability. A stability that is a pre-condition to any attempt at integration. 2009 will be a landmark year for the economic history of the region as free circulation of its citizens is expected to come into place.

It was the final objective of the EU and Cote d’Ivoire officials have worked in the terms of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the whole region, such was not possible. Catherine Ashton, European Trade Commissioner was not at the signing of the EPA and it was in fact the French ambassador in Cote d´Ivoire, M. André Janier, signing on behalf of the EU and Mr. Koné Amadou, Minister of Integration and a key player in the success of the negotiation. It remains unclear if the absence of Catherine Ashton was a sign of a certain lack of appreciation by the EU Commission of the significance of the agreement. Messieur André Janier brought attention to three particular points: first that the EU remains, by far, the first commercial partner of the Cote d’Ivoire; secondly, that the deal represented a win-win situation for the two trade partners; thirdly, that all the key forces of the Cote d’Ivoire had participated in the negotiation process, including representatives from Civil Society.

The deal itself will allow Cote d’Ivoire, one of three non-LDC countries in West Africa (Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria), to keep exporting to the EU at zero-tariff. In return the Cote d’Ivoire will be progressively opening its markets over the next 15 years to European products, progressively complying to the guidelines of the World Trade Organization. The deal has been divisive of African political opinion with some considerable voices, such as Cameroon, condemning the deal as being European-dominated. The group of Least Developed Countries however have less to worry about than non-LDC countries since they benefit from the “everything but arms deal”, an accord that circumvents the zero-tariff inclining tendencies promoted by the WTO and gives the opportunity for this group of countries to keep exporting at zero-tariff to the EU market. Koné Amadou, Cote d’Ivoire’s minister of Integration expects the deal to accelerate the sub-regional and regional integration of West Africa but also recognizes that there have been difficulties regarding the implementation of the free circulation of people and products.