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]] The member states of the African Union are mounting efforts to collaborate economically, but they are impeded by the civil wars raging in several parts of Africa. The African Union provides greater powers to govern African economies. The states goals include the creation of Free Trade Area s, Customs Union s, Single Market , a Central Bank and a Common Currency thus establishing Economic And Monetary Union . Pillars of the African Economic Community Currently contacts are made with the different Trade Bloc s on the African continent - they will form the 'pillars' of AEC. Currently there are multiple Regional Bloc s (Regional Economic Communities - RECs) with overlapping memberships. Several of these also contain subgroups of tighter customs and/or monetary unions: The pillars and the subgroups of tighter cooperation are the following: Pillar membership | valign=top | |} | valign=top | | valign=top | |} The Arab Maghreb Union does not participate in the AEC so far, because of opposition by Morocco . Other blocs Other African regional blocs, not participating in the AEC (their members are parties to other regional blocs which do participate), are the following.
Their membership is as follows: 1 Proposed for pillar REC, but objecting participation Goals The AEC founded through the Abuja Treaty, signed in 1991 and entered into force in 1994 is envisioned to be created in six stages: # (to be completed in 1999) Creation of regional blocs in regions where such do not yet exist # (to be completed in 2007) Strengthening of intra-REC integration and inter-REC harmonisation # (to be completed in 2017) Establishing of a Free Trade Area and Customs Union in each regional bloc # (to be completed in 2019) Establishing of a continent-wide customs union (and thus also a free trade area) # (to be completed in 2023) Establishing of a continent-wide African Common Market (ACM) # (to be completed in 2028) Establishing of a continent-wide Economic And Monetary Union (and thus also a Currency Union ) and Parliament
Stages progress ''as of December 2005''
1 not yet participating members: , Eritrea , Angola , DR Congo (in talks to join), Swaziland (on derogation until SACU gives permission for Swaziland to join the FTA), Libya (to join in 2006), Seychelles (in talks to join)
Comparison between Regional blocs 1 not all members participating yet 2 Telecommunications , Transport and Energy - proposed 3 sensitive goods to be covered from 2012 See also References |