This project, launched in 2009 is aiming to equip West Africa and other African countries to be able to tackle the growing problem of e-waste import coming from industrialised countries and thereby protect the health of citizens. The project has 4 components:

1)    A study of the flow of e-waste into Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia and Nigeria

2)    A national assessment on e-waste in Benin, Ghana and Nigeria

3)    A socio-economic study on e-waste in Nigeria with a feasibility of international cooperation between African SMEs and European recycling companies. The same study will be carried out in Ghana.

4) An enforcement programme in Benin, Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria and Tunisia led by IMPEL with the aim of preventing illegal export from Europe to West Africa. The programme consists of 2 training workshops in Europe and one in each of the five countries. This ToR is also a follow up of the ToR of the EU-African Collaboration of 2009. In November 2009, a workshop will be held in Ghana to meet the objectives of the ToR 2009.

Definition: The objectives will be met by organising the two training programmes in Europe and five workshops in the five African countries (see above). In these training programmes, African representatives will be trained to carry out inspections on waste shipments, to distinguish second hand products from e-waste, a better understanding of the Basel convention and on how to exchange information about waste shipments between EU and African countries. Another outcome should be a better common understanding of the situation and agreement for future collaboration on the enforcement of waste shipments from the EU to African countries.

Project team: Tbd

Participants: IMPEL TFS Members, SC and the secretariat and representatives from the Secretariat of the Basel Convention and their centres.

Start: January 2010

Final report: November 2011