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Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)

Secrétariat Général de la CEEAC, Mairie de Haut de Gue Gue, BP 2112, Libreville, Gabon

Phone : +241 444731 / Fax : +241444732

Web site : www.ceeac-eccas.org

The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) was created on 18 October 1983 by members of UDEAC (Customs and Economic Union of Central Africa) who had agreed on the principle of enlarging the Economic Community of Central African States since 1981, and by members of CEPGL (Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries). ECCAS is one of the Regional Economic Communities (RECs). RECs are regional groupings of African states organized into a legal entity by treaty, with economic and social integration as their main objective. The African Union currently recognizes eight RECs, each of which plays a key role in African integration.

Its mission is:

  • To advance and strengthen harmonized cooperation, and balanced and self-sustained development in all spheres of economic and social activity;

  • To eliminate between member States, customs duty and all other taxes on the import and export of goods;

  • To eliminate, between member States, quantitative restrictions (quotas) and other barriers to trade;

  • To establish and maintain a common external customs tariff;

  • To establish a common trade policy towards non-community States;

  • To gradually lift obstacles between member States to the free circulation of persons, goods and services, capital, and the freedom of establishment;

  • To harmonize national policies with view to promoting community activities, particularly in the spheres of industry, transport and communications, energy, agriculture, natural resources, trade, currency and finance, human resources, tourism, education and culture, and science and technology;

  • To create a co-operation and development fund;

  • Rapid development of landlocked member States, particularly insular and semi- landlocked States, and/or belonging to the category of less-advanced countries;

  • All other activities which achieve community objectives that member States might undertake in common;

  • To promote peace, security and stability in Central Africa; added to its existing objectives in 1999.

The member States are: the Republic of Angola; the Republic of Burundi; the Republic of Cameroon; the Republic of Central Africa; the Republic of Gabon; the Republic of Congo; the Democratic Republic of Congo; the Republic of Equatorial Guinea; the Republic of São Tomé and Principe; and the Republic of Chad.