East African Community

The East African Community ( engl. East African Community EAC) is an intergovernmental organization of the East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi with a total area of ​​1,820,666 km ².

General

The secretariat is seated in Arusha Tanzania. The EAC aims to increasingly close cooperation in political, economic and legal area to joint bodies of the five states.

The Member States must adapt their national legislation to enable the full implementation of some aspects of the common market, such as immigration and customs authorities. From 2012, a monetary union was planned with the East African shilling. This event has been postponed due to the political unrest in Kenya 2007/2008 and the addition of Rwanda and Burundi provisionally to 2015. The euro crisis is a further boost critics. On 1 December 2013, the Heads of State and Government of the five countries signed a framework agreement to form a monetary union in the East African States.

History

In 1967 Kenya had called together with Uganda and Tanzania, a short-lived Economic Community under the name EAC to life. In addition to establishing a common market ( EACM ) promoting the spread in all three countries Swahili as an alternative to left by the colonial masters English was sought as a lingua franca. But 1977 broke this community at Interstate opposites and mutual interference.

On 7 July 2000, the community was officially re-established, since 1 July 2007, she is also one of Burundi and Rwanda to its members.

Since 1 January 2005, the customs union with a common external tariff on the paper is realized. Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda are members of COMESA next, while Tanzania is a member of SADC. Tanzania had also been a member of COMESA, this has left, however, to avoid duplication of these to escape with SADC. Both regional groups aim to customs unions. Since the member states can not agree concerning the division of customs revenues and belong to different regional organizations, but internal border controls and customs formalities will continue. Also was a transitional arrangement ( a slow reduction of tariffs until 2010) for the exports of a number of Kenyan products to Tanzania and Uganda.

On 1 July 2010, the Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki officially enacted the East African Common Market Protocol, an extension to the existing customs union, which came into force in 2005. The protocol provides for the free movement of labor, capital, goods and services within the East African Community.

Since 19 April 2011-2016 Richard Sezibera is from Rwanda, the new Secretary General of the Community. Its predecessor was Juma Mwapachu from Tanzania.

Members

Founding members

  • Kenya
  • Uganda Uganda
  • Tanzania

Members since 2007

  • Rwanda Rwanda
  • Burundi Burundi

Membership applications

  • Sudan Sudan Established 2011 a membership application, which was rejected at the instigation of Uganda and Tanzania because the country's human rights eighth and also - before the accession of South Sudan - not adjacent to the EAC countries.
  • Also, the Sudan South Sudan (2011) and Somalia Somalia ( February 2012) have applied for membership. In December 2012, the EAC decided to delay the processing of these requests.
Official language Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa Integrated Authority File
251872
de