On 14 August 2025, the World Customs Organization (WCO) advised that under the framework of the European Union (EU)-WCO Rules of Origin (RoO) Africa Programme, funded by the European Union, the World Customs Organization (WCO), in partnership with the European Technical Assistance Facility (EU-TAF) support to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), had held a national training workshop on RoO for Comoros. The workshop was held in Moroni, Comoros, from 28 July 2025 to 01 August 2025, with the objective of assisting Comoros in enhancing its knowledge and application of preferential RoO. The workshop saw the participation of Comoros Customs, the Ministry of Economy, Industry, Investment and Economic Integration, and the Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture.
In his opening remarks, the acting Secretary General (SG) of the Ministry of Economy, Industry, Investment and Economic Integration expressed his appreciation to the EU and the WCO for their continued support. The SG stressed that RoO are essential for the development of regional and continental value chains, and that a dynamic Customs administration is necessary for the implementation and application of the AfCFTA and other free trade agreements.
During the workshop, participants worked on key concepts for proper origin determination, related operational and procedural issues, including origin certification and origin irregularities, as well as the establishment of efficient origin management. In addition, participants discussed specific areas of concern, including the low level of knowledge and use of the FTAs and challenges linked to verification of origin, including through administrative cooperation. They also discussed recommendations for better management and implementation of RoO on a national and regional level.
The EU-WCO RoO Africa Programme will continue its work with various stakeholders in Comoros to equip them with extended knowledge for efficient implementation and application of the RoO. The next steps in the competency development will cover advanced training, followed by a training of trainers on RoO.