ECCAS - Harmonisation of Sectoral Policies

Harmonisation of policies in the areas of industry, transport and communications, energy, agriculture, natural resources, trade, currency and finance, human resources, tourism, education, culture, science and technology are the core objectives indicated in the ECCAS Establishing Treaty. ECCAS has set out a number of initiatives to implement these objectives. Among others, ECCAS plans to implement a regional private sector development programme in Central Africa with support from the European Union[1].

Infrastructure in the ECCAS region has made progress with the ECCAS Consensus Blue Print on Transport in Central Africa initiative. In this context, priority projects as the Highway project Fougamou-Doussala-Dolisie (Gabon- Congo), the Ouesso-Sangmelima road development project and the transport facilitation on the Brazzaville-Yaoundé road corridor, are in the process of implementation[2]. ECCAS has also initiated actions to construct cross-border missing links particularly the railroad bridge between Brazzaville and Kinshasa[3]. Aviation has likewise made progress in ECCAS with the Heads of State and Government deliberating on forming a regional agency to regulate the air space and tackle problems of safety and security, aligned with the African Development bank sponsored Capacity Building Program of Aviation Safety in West and Central Africa initiative[4]. Moreover, in April 2003, ECCAS member States established the Power Pool of Central Africa of which the main achievement is progress made towards the implementation of the Grand Inga project. [5] Concerning food and agriculture, ECCAS is implementing its Common Agriculture Policy that serve as the basis for the development of the Regional Agricultural Investment and Food Security Programme in the region.

In an effort to further harmonise policies and overall cooperation between ECCAS and the CEMAC, member States decided to establish a Steering Committee for the Rationalization of Regional Economic Communities in Central Africa. The Steering Committee has met three times to deliberate priority areas of action for further harmonisation[6].