AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE European Union (EU) has allayed fears over Brexit effects on the East African Community (EAC) support.
Speaking in Arusha at the weekend, Mr Manfredo Fanti, who is EU Ambassador to Tanzania and the EAC, said the EU would continue supporting the EAC in realising its objective of widening and deepening cooperation among its Partner States despite the United Kingdom (UK)’s withdrawal from the EU.
“Brexit will not have any adverse impact on our cooperation with the EAC,” explained the envoy after sealing a 44bn/- joint programme to strengthen regional economic integration through advancing the implementation of the Customs Union and Common Market Protocols at the weekend.
The EAC, which is one of the most advanced regional economic communities in Africa, has already achieved a Customs Union and Common Market and is now moving towards monetary and political federation.
The EU, on the other hand, has been a role model for the EAC.
In 2010 a technical team from the European Central Bank visited the region to advise on the achievement of the Monetary Union.
Commenting on some of the EAC partner states’ delays in remitting their annual contributions to the Community, Mr Fanti said the EU acknowledged challenges faced by each country, further expressing optimism that the regional economic grouping would address the situation.
Such unremitted funds have seen the Secretariat struggle to implement some of its programmes.
EAC Secretary General Ambassador Libérat Mfumukeko for his part said close to 70 per cent of average contributions had been submitted by some member states by June this year.
“We come from a region where every country faces a challenge. We, therefore, don’t have the luxury to complain,” he said.
The EAC boss further noted that financial constraints would be addressed in the next Heads of State Summit.
The 60-month programme will be implemented by the EAC Secretariat. It will complement several other initiatives to provide economic empowerment to EAC people.
The 4th EU-Africa Summit in 2014 identified trade facilitation, continental integration and boosting intra-African trade as one of the priorities for the implementation of the Joint Africa-EU Strategy (JAES).
The action is also linked to the prosperity dimension of the New European Consensus on Development: “Our world, Our Dignity, Our Future,” calling for inclusive and sustainable growth and jobs through support to measures that help improve the economic governance and business environment.
