The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), established in October 1983 and its Secretariat General set up in January 1985, currently has 10 Member States, namely Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, DR Congo, Sao Tome & Principe and Chad. It has an area of 6 640 600 km² with a population estimated at 130 million inhabitants.
II. Missions
The tasks of ECCAS are defined in Chapter II Article 4 of the Treaty, which stipulates that the aim of the Community is to promote and strengthen harmonious co-operation and balanced and self-sustaining development in the fields of economic and social activity , in particular in the fields of industry, transport and communication, energy, agriculture, natural resources, trade, customs, monetary and financial matters, human resources, tourism, education, development, culture, science and technology and the movement of people to achieve collective self-reliance, raise the standard of living of populations, increase and maintain stability economic relations, strengthen closer peaceful relations between member states,and to contribute to the progress and development of the African continent ".
Due to sociopolitical disturbances and armed conflicts in the majority of the Member States, ECCAS had been inactive from 1992 to 1998. The breakdown of peace in the majority of Member States and its consequences justified the the predominance of peace and stability issues in the "Revival and Revitalization Program" adopted by the Heads of State and Government in June 1999 in Malabo after the decision to reactivate ECCAS in February 1998 in Libreville . The development of physical, economic and monetary integration should also be added to this priority program.
The revival was based on a new political will to make ECCAS a veritable pillar of subregional cooperation in Central Africa, in line with the objectives and objectives defined by the African Union. To be effective, the approach has been gradual.
With a view to meeting the challenges of integration, ECCAS member countries have adopted a strategic integration plan in 2007 and a vision for 2025 to make the region an area of peace, solidarity , balanced development and the free movement of people, goods and services.
In order to achieve this vision, the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Community has therefore decided, for the period up to 2015, to focus on the following three axes, to which the activities of the Community should focus. It is :
1. Peace, security and stability, including the functioning of the Peace and Security Council for Central Africa (COPAX);
2. Infrastructure, including Transport, Energy, Water, Information and Communication Technologies.
3. The Environment, including the management of Congo Basin ecosystems.
These three axes are complemented by (i) the consolidation of the customs union and (ii) the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy.
III. The Governing Bodies
The Institutions of ECCAS are the following:
IV. Area, Population and Economy
With a population estimated in 2013 at nearly 145 million inhabitants and spread over 6,640,490 km2, the region is favorable for investment and business development. For more than a decade, the region's economic activity has been among the most dynamic in the continent, with an average growth rate of
around 5% over the past five years. A performance attributable to the surge in commodity prices, but also to macroeconomic stability
and the implementation of good policies that have helped sustain growth. With nearly $ 120 billion in exports in 2013, the ECCAS region represents on average close to 20% of African exports. Exports of hydrocarbons account for 41% of GDP and dominate the region's economy, closely followed by forestry and mining, and agro-industries centered on the processing of cotton, coffee and cocoa, rubber.
To consolidate these achievements and commit themselves to the structural transformation of the economies, the region has numerous assets:
V. MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS
ECCAS, with the support of its development partners, is involved in programs that must contribute to accelerating regional integration in
Central Africa and achieving the objectives set out in the 2025 vision. In particular:
In the area of peace and security: political stability is improving in the region while remaining fragile.
In order to ensure this stability, in February 2000, the States created the Central African Peace and Security Council (COPAX). The results achieved since 2004 are significant, particularly with the strengthening of the capacities of the Central African Multinational Force (FOMAC) and the Central African Early Warning Mechanism (MARAC).
In the area of transport: the strategy for the region is the Consolidated Transport Development Plan for Central Africa (PDCT-AC), which includes 14 priority projects including all transport infrastructure that supports the international trade of States in the region ( main ports, international airports, railways, fluvial and lake networks).
In this context, road transport facilitation has been launched and its achievements will fill the missing major links of the major West-East (Lagos-Mombasa) and North-South (Tripoli-Cape Town) trans-African corridors.
In the field of energy infrastructure: ECAC's activities aim to develop and consolidate a regional energy market, led by the Central African Energy Pool (PEAC), which is recognized as an appropriate institutional framework to stimulate regional cooperation and to realize the commitment member countries to work together to exploit the enormous energy potential of the region. Studies are under way with a view to achieving electrical interconnections between the countries of the region and with the rest of Africa, in particular, from the Inga dam (DRC), a major factor for integration between the major regions of Africa.
In addition, in order to enhance water resources in the region, a regional water policy was adopted in 2009. The aim is to provide Central Africa with a prospective framework for the management of its water resources incorporating the relevant orientations of the Hague Conference.
As regards the environment: ECCAS's specific program of work pursues the overall objective of enhancing the value of natural resources in order to increase their contribution to the economy of the States and improve decision-making through the observation of ecosystems and of climate change. The Central African Forest Commission (COMIFAC) is the world's largest and most important conservation and sustainable management body for the forest and savannah ecosystems of the Congo Basin.
In addition, a short-term process for the integration of disaster reduction and climate change adaptation into national and regional policies, programs and projects is underway and implemented at ECCAS level.
In the field of trade, which is the main axis on which the Community's integration strategy is based, activities are based on the major objective of achieving the creation of a regional common market and ultimately coordination with the other regions, the creation of the African Common Market. The Free Trade Area (FTA) has been in operation since 2004; it should lead to a Customs Union (CU) and a Common External Tariff (CET).
Other work to standardize the exceptional exemptions granted under certain special schemes (mining, forestry and petroleum codes, etc.) will be undertaken with a view to reaching a large regional common market.
In the area of agriculture and food security, strategic actions have been initiated with regard to (i) the development and adoption of a Regional Food Security Program for Central Africa (PRSA-AC ); (ii) the development of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP-ECCAS); (iii) establishment of the Regional Special Fund for Agricultural Development (FSRDA) to facilitate small farmers' access to inputs, agricultural equipment and small processing and storage units. (iv) the development of the Common Phytosanitary Regulations.
VI. Key Challenges
Notwithstanding these efforts, it should be pointed out that many challenges still need to be addressed in order to achieve an appreciable level of regional integration in Central Africa.
At the political level, understanding and rapprochement among countries, in line with the spirit of the African Union, represent the greatest challenge to regional integration in
South Africa; The region is made up of fragile states, landlocked countries, and forest countries. This con fi guration gives full meaning to the process of regional integration in Central Africa. Densification of basic infrastructure, improved interconnections of national transport networks between Central African countries, an increase in per capita electricity consumption (currently 12.5 kWh compared to 17.3 for the continent), improved access to ICT (per 1000 inhabitants there are 10.2 Internet access lines, 21.6 mobile telephone lines and 3.6 fixed telephone lines compared with 61.8, 37.6 and 32 , 4 respectively for the continent) are major challenges that the region hopes to meet in order to promote the emergence of a dynamic and competitive private sector.
In terms of trade and integration, the priority activities to be implemented relate in particular to the effective implementation of a number of decisions, in particular: (i) Protocol on freedom of movement and the right of establishment (iii) establishment of the compensatory mechanism, (iv) adoption of a common CEMAC / ECCAS TEC, (v) elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers, ( (vii) adoption of agricultural and industrial policies.
In general, ECCAS intends to strengthen the capacities of all stakeholders for the development of intra- and inter-regional trade. The strategy to achieve this is centered on the following four pillars:
o Participate in a pan-African network to be created to improve cooperation and coherence in the development of interregional trade;
o Transforming the General Secretariat into an engine for the development and promotion of intra- and inter-regional trade;
o Pro-active regional trade support networks, policy dialogue, support and coordinated trade promotion;
o Strengthen the export competitiveness of companies in the growth sectors.