In the framework of the West Africa Competitiveness Programme (WACOMP), the ECOWAS Commission is supported by the European Union (EU) through the technical support of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO). This programme aims to facilitate trade and improve access to regional and international markets for products from the region's value chains. Under the guidance of the West Africa Competitiveness and Quality Infrastructure Project (WACQIP), which is a regional component of WACOMP, fourteen (14) technical regulations have been identified by The ECOWAS Community Committee for Technical regulation (ECOREG). They are being developed to support four priority value chains at the regional level: mango, cassava & derivatives, textiles & garments, information and communication technology (ICT). 

In accordance with the recommendations of the workshop of the ECOREG, held on 29 March 2021, a pool of experts of five (5) consultants including a coordinator, was recruited by UNIDO for the elaboration of fourteen (14) technical regulations identified concerning these four regional value chains. To this end, four (4) technical harmonisation working groups (THWG) set up by ECOREG met from 22 to 27 February 2023. They examined and validated the 14 draft technical regulations developed by the regional experts, under the coordination of the WACQIP Technical Coordination Unit.

The next step will be to launch the consultation process (public inquiry) to  collect the comments and observations of national stakeholders. Following this stage, the THWGs will convey to take into account the relevant comments and observations in draft technical regulations, prior to their approval by ECOREG.

It should be noted that the process of development of these technical regulations, proposed by the recruited regional experts in technical regulations, is based on the principles and rules of Regulation C/REG.10/6/21 on the procedures for harmonization, adoption and revision of ECOWAS technical regulations (ECOTHRAM) and the principles of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreements on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS). 

For more details, please read:

- The Programme of work on technical regulations: 
- The Notifications on the development of technical regulations: 
- The Catalog of technical regulations: