The East African Community (EAC) and the Federal Republic of Germany have renewed their commitment to advancing regional integration following the conclusion of Development Cooperation Negotiations on 10th August at the EAC headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania, with Germany committing €39.8 million in new grant funding to strengthen regional trade and economic integration across the region.
The EAC delegation was led by the Secretary General, Ambassador Stephen P. Mbundi, while the German delegation was headed by Mr Joachim Schmitt, Head of the Central and East Africa Division at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Speaking when he held a bilateral with the delegation, Amb. Mbundi appreciated Germany for being a longstanding partner of the EAC, noting that the country’s sustained collaboration has contributed significantly to the Community’s regional integration journey.
“Germany is a longstanding partner of the EAC. We appreciate Germany’s continued confidence in the EAC and its commitment to supporting regional integration, trade and sustainable development,” he said.
On her end, EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Customs, Trade and Monetary Affairs, Ms. Annette Ssemuwemba, appreciated the German delegation for their commitment to supporting the Community, noting that the discussions came at a strategic time as the EAC embarks on implementation of its 7th Development Strategy.
“As we look towards implementing the 7th EAC Development Strategy, renewing our cooperation with Germany is critical. We appreciate Germany for coming to the table with us to review our priorities and identify areas where we can work together to deliver results. This is the spirit of partnership and shared responsibility that is essential to achieving the objectives of our regional integration agenda,” said Ms. Ssemuwemba.
The discussions focused on support for the EAC’s 7th Development Strategy. During the negotiations, Germany and the EAC agreed that the core mandate is to further advance East African trade and the region’s economic integration. Germany is committing 39.8 million euros in grants for this purpose.
Mr Joachim Schmitt stated that “East Africa is the fastest growing region with a 14% increase in intra-EAC trade, growing trade volumes within the AfCFTA and beyond the continent. Furthermore, the region is an interesting investment hub for the German and European private sector interested in trade and value chain development. With our cooperation we want to support rules-based trade integration, regional economic development and deepen private sector engagement.”
EAC and Germany further expressed their interest to advance their partnership and support to the “Invest.EastAfrica! – German-East Africa Business and Investment Forum”, an initiative by the EAC Secretariat, the State of Hesse, the East African Business Council and various German business organisations, recognising its role in promoting investment, trade and stronger economic ties between Germany and the East African region. Both sides also welcomed the preparations and readiness for the upcoming EU-EAC negotiations on a joint Economic Partnership Agreement. The outlook is clear both economic zones, including markets, businesses, and consumers, will benefit if they succeed in negotiating a forward-looking and sustainable agreement for both sides.
The newly allocated funds shall focus on promoting access to financial services for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the EAC through a partnership between the German development bank KfW and the East African Development Bank.  MSMEs account for up to 80% of employment in the region and are key drivers of innovation, manufacturing, agriculture and tourism.
As a central pillar of quality infrastructure, metrology forms the basis for fair trade, regional and continental integration, and participation in global value chains. Reliable measurement results enhance consumer protection, promote local economic development, and benefit both African and German/European economies. Part of the German funds will be used to foster metrology standards through a partnership between the German National Metrology Institute and corresponding partners in the East African region.
Germany welcomed the EAC's progress on institutional reforms, including the adoption of the 7th EAC Development Strategy, and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting its implementation through technical and financial cooperation. Both partners also stressed the importance of closer collaboration and coordination with civil society, the private sector and development partners to strengthen regional cooperation.
As part of its commitment to the EU Global Gateway strategy and as part of Team Europe, Germany will continue working closely with the European Union and all its engaged member states to support regional initiatives in trade, digital transformation, health, transboundary water management, civil society and sustainable economic development.
As part of the new funding allocation EUR 4.8 million are earmarked as additional German support in response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the region for measures dedicated to direct Ebola preparedness, prevention and response as well as to overall strengthening of regional capacities and coordination. The activities will be implemented through the EAC/GIZ project “Support to Pandemic Preparedness in the EAC Region” (PanPrep), which supports the region since 2017.
The additional resources will finance targeted Ebola response measures, including practical infection prevention and control (IPC) trainings for frontline healthcare workers, the procurement and distribution of Ebola-specific personal protective equipment (PPE), strengthened regulatory preparedness to accelerate access to potential Ebola vaccines, therapeutics and other medical countermeasures, as well as community sensitization activities to reduce vaccine hesitancy and support future Ebola vaccination campaigns.
All interventions will be implemented in close coordination with the EAC Secretariat and the respective partner states and aligned with the Continental Ebola Preparedness and Response Plan led by Africa CDC and WHO, ensuring complementarity with regional and international response efforts.
Germany remains a reliable partner of the East African Community and looks forward to continuing its long-standing cooperation to advance regional integration, sustainable development and shared prosperity across East Africa.