The European Commission has decided a further funding of 38 million euros for the “conservation and sustainable management of the forests of Central Africa”. The area in question consists of over 180,000 sq km of humid tropical forests and savannah the second largest tropical forest system after that of the Amazon extending through the territories of the eight Central African countries: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sao Tomé and Principe. The fresh funds added to the 70 million committed by the EU over the last 15 years have been allocated as part of the Ecofac IV programme and the Convergence Plan active for years between the European Union, the Commission of the Ministers for Forests of Central Africa and the Partnership of Forests in the Congo basin. The success of the Ecofac programme and the experience gained in running its projects will be used during the next European Development Fund (Edf) as an example for other programme aimed at the conservation and sustainable management of protected areas in the developing countries. Info – http://www.europa.eu.int
