COMESA Secretariat is set to modernise Rules of Origin Protocol amid regional integration milestones

The COMESA Secretariat convened a technical workshop in Zambia from 23 to 25 September 2024 to review the COMESA Protocol on Rules of Origin (RoO) with the support of the EU-WCO RoO Africa Programme.

This meeting brought together key stakeholders from across the region, marking a significant moment for regional trade. The workshop is timely as it coincides with several regional milestones, including implementing the COMESA-SADC-EAC Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) and the first general review of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Assistant Secretary-General, Amb. Dr. Mohamed Kadah, highlighted that the COMESA RoO review comes at a significant time, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of COMESA's regional integration efforts. He emphasised the crucial role of the RoO in deepening economic integration and facilitating trade within the COMESA FTA. Given the complexities of compliance across 369 regional trade agreements worldwide, simplifying and modernising these rules has become essential to reduce business costs. He acknowledged the collaboration with the WCO and the European Union (EU), under the EU-WCO RoO Africa Programme, in revising the RoO to align with regional frameworks like the AfCFTA and the TFTA.

The EU representative, Mrs Christiane Haziyo, highlighted the significant role of the COMESA FTA as a foundational element in regional integration efforts in ESA, serving as a keystone for subsequent agreements like the COMESA-SADC-EAC TFTA and AfCFTA. She emphasised that this workshop is pivotal, with the recent activation of the TFTA and the upcoming review of the AfCFTA. She acknowledged the EU's contributions to the comparative study on RoO and expressed satisfaction in seeing the findings resonate within policy circles, driving efforts to harmonise and modernise the COMESA Rules of Origin.

The impetus for this revision can be traced back to 2023 when the EU-WCO RoO Africa Programme initiated a research project comparing the rules of origin applicable under various key trade agreements in Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA). The study analysed agreements including the AfCFTA, the COMESA-SADC-EAC TFTA, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa Free Trade Area (COMESA FTA), the Southern African Development Community Free Trade Area (SADC FTA), and the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the EU and several ESA countries.

COMESA Secretariat took the findings of the report into practice by updating its RoO Protocol with the assistance of the EU-WCO RoO Africa Programme. The workshop presented the findings of the alignment exercise for validation which will be reviewed by the Technical Working Group and are expected to be submitted for adoption by the COMESA Council of Ministers later this year.

This workshop showcases the region's ongoing commitment to deepening economic integration, ensuring that trade agreements align with its Member States' evolving needs, and providing a framework that fosters inclusive growth and sustainable development across the COMESA region.

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