Mr Amadou Niang, Senegalese Minister of Commerce, on Wednesday called for a social approach to the negotiations of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) between the European Union (EU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
He said the discussion should involve civil society since the decisions taken in the agreement would have political, social and economic impact on people.
He, therefore, commended civil society organizations actively following the negotiations saying their intervention was necessary.
Mr Niang was speaking at a workshop organized by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) for economic journalists in the Sub-Region on the theme: "Negotiations between EU and ECOWAS; where does the West African Press Stand."
The workshop brought together journalists from Ghana, Senegal, Mali, Nigeria, Benin and Cote d' Ivoire.
Mr Niang said West Africa's overall development was based on economic development within the region and suggested that regional integration should be facilitated to help deal with the development challenges.
The Economic Partnership Agreement is a proposed trade agreement by the EU to Africa, Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP) countries seeking reciprocal trade arrangement with non-tariff barriers to encourage the liberalization of the various markets.