The EU's relations with Central Africa

The Regional Indicative Programme (RIP) for Central Africa covers relations with three regional organisations: CEMAC, CEEAC and CEPGL.

The EU political dialogue in the region focuses on matters related to peace and security, such as the establishment of the African Peace and Security Architecture, security and development issues in the gulf of Guinea, and the ECCAS mission in Central Africa Republic, financed through the African Peace Facility.

The negotiations of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and, more broadly, the support to regional integration process represent another pivotal aspect of the relations.  In addition to that, sustainable management of protected areas and forests is also addressed, given the importance of the Congo basin and its role in the fight to climate change.

Under the 10th EDF (2007-2013), the Regional Strategy Programme/Regional Indicative Programme (RSP/RIP) for Central Africa globally allocates €165 million to the region. It focuses mainly on three domains:

1. Economic and trade integration and accompanying measure for the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA's), for which €97 million are earmarked;

2. Management of renewable natural resources (€30 milllion), and 

3. Political integration (€15 million). €15 million are allocated to the CEPG, on top of the €30 million financed under the East African Regional Indicative Programme.