A total of thirty (30) inspectors representing the various structures in charge of health control in Benin attended the training on the Harmonised Guide to Health Inspection and Risk-Based Decision-Making in Cotonou from 9 to 11 September 2025.
Organised as part of the implementation of the West Africa Food System Resilience Programme (PRSA), this meeting was an opportunity to strengthen the capacities of Benin's inspectors with a view to enabling the country to take advantage of the regional and even continental market for agricultural and agri-food products to improve food safety and nutrition.
As a reminder, the Health Inspection Guide developed by ECOWAS was adopted with a view to, harmonise inspection and decision-making methods based on risk and scientific data, increase transparency in inspections, and facilitate the free movement of agricultural, forestry and pastoral products by removing technical barriers to trade in ECOWAS and Sahel member states.
As in other countries, training on the Harmonised Health Inspection Guide was followed on 12 September 2025 by a day of awareness-raising for cross-border trade stakeholders on the Harmonised SPS Certificate. The adoption of this SPS certificate responds to the concern to harmonise national SPS standards and adapt them to international best practices, including the World Trade Organisation's SPS Agreement and Annex 7 of the AfCFTA (on SPS), with a view to reducing technical barriers to intra-community trade in agricultural, forestry and pastoral products, while preserving human and animal health and plant protection.
Fifty participants from both the private and public sectors attended this awareness-raising day, organised with the support of the Benin Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
In addition to the presentation of the Harmonised Phytosanitary Certificate, participants familiarised themselves with other protocols adopted by ECOWAS to facilitate intra-community trade, namely: the Trade Liberalisation Scheme (TLS), the Common External Tariff (CET), Community transit, etc.
