Under the auspices of the Union of Maghreb Arab and the Customs Adminitration of the Kingdom of Morocco, the EU-WCO Programmes for Harmonized System (HS) and Rules of Origin (RoO) in Africa held the annual Steering Committee Meetings on 9-11 December 2024 in Marrakesh, Morocco. The high-level meetings gathered representatives from the European Union, the WCO, the African Continental Free trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, the WCO ESA and WCA Regional Offices for Capacity Building, eight Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Customs administrations from Africa, to appraise the results of the Programmes, provide guidance and orientation, and approve the work plan for the next reporting period.

The Steering Committee members commended the work accomplished by the Programmes to date and the significant milestone it had played in advancing harmonized trade through, dedicated and tailor-made support, the coordinated implementation of the Harmonized system (HS), robust capacity building initiatives, digitalization projects, as well as the implementation of advance rulings at regional and national levels. They also acknowledged the important changes that the Programme was making for its beneficiaries and in Africa. The Committee expressed its appreciation to the European Union and the WCO for the partnership and highlighted the paramount importance of continuity of both the HS and RoO programmes, as well as the prospects to include valuation.

The steering Committee Members reviewed the progress made so far by the Programmes and examined the key areas that still needed interventions such as supporting efforts towards establishment of Customs laboratories, implementation of advance rulings, Origin adapted training materials, self-certification of origin, and technical support to the RECs and the AfCFTA secretariat.

The Committee adopted and validated recommendations for the way forward and concluded the meeting by endorsing Programmes’ annual report for 2024.