COMMON MARKET FOR EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA (COMESA) SECRETARIAT

REPORT ON SPS ACTIVITIES

COMESA REPORT TO THE WTO COMMITTEE ON SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES

The following communication, received on 1 October 2025, is being circulated at the request of the secretariat of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).

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1  Background

1.1.  The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) comprises 21 member States (Burundi, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe). COMESA covers a region with a population of about 680 million people, and a combined GDP of roughly USD1.1 trillion. Intra‑regional trade within COMESA is approximately USD14 billion, while total trade (both intra‑ and extra‑regional goods) is in the order of USD219 billion.

2  SPS PROGRAMMES TO FACILITATE IMPLEMENTATION OF WTO SPS AGREEMENT

2.1.  COMESA has been implementing several programmes to facilitate the implementation of the COMESA SPS Regulations and WTO SPS Agreement.

2.1  Harmonization of Food Safety Regulatory Measures

2.2.  The original COMESA SPS Regulations were adopted in 2009. Since then, several provisions have become outdated due to evolving trade, health, and phytosanitary environments. The COMESA SPS Regulations were revised to address outdated provisions and respond to emerging SPS risks. The revised SPS Regulations are harmonized with continental frameworks (including the AU SPS Framework, Food Safety Strategy (2022–2036), Plant Health Strategy (2022–2036), and Animal Health Strategy (2019–2035)) and international standards, particularly the WTO SPS Agreement, ensuring coherence and enhanced regional integration in SPS measures. The revision was conducted through a consultative, member-driven process, supported by the African Union Commission (AUC) and the European Union (EU) under the 11^th EDF RECAMP programme. The revised COMESA SPS Regulations will be adopted by the COMESA Council of Ministers in December 2025.

2.2  Enhance the Capacity Certification Bodies to provide internationally recognized Certification services

2.3.  COMESA, with support from the German Metrology Institute (PTB), implemented a capacity‑building initiative aimed at strengthening certification bodies across the region. This effort directly responded to private sector concerns over the limited availability and high cost of accredited certification services, factors that often lead to product rejections or costly retesting in international markets. By enhancing the competence of national certification bodies, especially in offering accredited services locally, the initiative aims to reduce certification costs and improve accessibility for businesses, particularly SMEs. A regional assessment informed the design of targeted training workshops, which focused on three key international standards, ISO 17020, ISO 17021, and ISO 17065, ensuring comprehensive coverage of inspection, management systems, and product certification requirements. The training was delivered in both English and French, reaching 35 participants from 17 member States. This intervention represents a strategic move toward harmonizing conformity assessment infrastructure in COMESA, enhancing regional trade competitiveness and facilitating smoother market access for certified products.

2.3  Strengthening of the COMESA Reference Laboratory System

2.4.  Under the COMESA Trade Facilitation Programme, efforts are underway to strengthen the regional network of reference laboratories by expanding and formalizing a system of designated reference and satellite laboratories. Between 27 May and 2 August 2024, on-site assessments were conducted at 33 candidate laboratories across ten member States (Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Madagascar, Mauritius, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe). This initiative aims to improve regional diagnostic and testing capabilities in critical areas such as animal health, food safety, and plant health key components for enhancing intra-regional trade and compliance with international sanitary and phytosanitary standards. The findings were validated during a technical workshop held from 1-3 October 2024. As a result, ten Reference Laboratories (two for animal health, five for food safety, and three for plant health) and 12 Satellite Laboratories (one for animal health, six for food safety, and five for plant health) have been identified and await formal designation by the COMESA Council of Ministers. This initiative marks a significant step toward harmonizing laboratory infrastructure in the region, improving risk management, and facilitating trade through trusted, regionally recognized testing facilities. The validated list of COMESA Reference and Satellite Laboratories and the operational framework of the COMESA Reference Laboratory System will be formally approved by the COMESA Council of Ministers in December 2025.

2.4  Strengthen Regional Conformity Assessment Infrastructure System

2.5.  With support from the 11^th EDF Programme, COMESA is working to strengthen the region's conformity assessment infrastructure, focusing on enhancing laboratory testing capacities to enable mutual recognition of test results among trading partners, a critical step for facilitating regional and international trade. Central to this effort is accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025, the globally recognized standard for testing and calibration laboratories, which ensures the reliability and consistency of test results. Participation in Proficiency Testing (PT) is a core requirement for this accreditation. In this context, COMESA, in collaboration with Texas A&M AgriLife Research Centre under an MoU, conducted a PT round for Fumonisens in cereals in August 2023. To evaluate and strengthen laboratory performance, a capacity-building workshop was held from 15–17 April 2024 in Kigali, Rwanda, bringing together 20 participants from seven member States (Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe). The workshop assessed PT performance and provided targeted training on critical quality assurance topics such as measurement uncertainty, method validation, and quality control. This initiative is a strategic move to build trust in laboratory data, support food safety, and promote trade within and beyond the COMESA region.

2.5  Establishment of Mutual Recognition Agreements to enhance intra-regional trade in COMESA

2.6.  COMESA, with support from the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) with support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), is advancing regional agricultural trade by facilitating the establishment of Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) among member States, focusing on six key commodities: maize, groundnuts, soybeans, rice, beans, and sorghum. The project is being piloted in Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, with the aim of harmonizing standards and streamlining cross-border trade through the adoption of Mutual Recognition Framework (MRF) pillars and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). In 2024, six bilateral negotiations were held between country pairs, Kenya-Uganda, Malawi-Zimbabwe, and Zambia-Zimbabwe, to align on MRA terms. Following the successful bilateral negotiations for Zambia-Zimbabwe and Malawi-Zimbabwe, member States agreed to sign the two MRAs. For the Zambia-Zimbabwe MRA, Zambia is just waiting for Zimbabwe to clear the MRA after which it will be ready to sign the MRA. For the Malawi-Zimbabwe MRA, the MRA was technically cleared by Zimbabwe, the final clearance delays from Malawi caused the signing to be deferred to 2025. Similarly, Kenya and Uganda agreed to sign their MRA in early 2025. Uganda has now cleared MRA, and the final clearance by Kenya is in progress. Notably, the Malawi-Zambia MRA was successfully signed in August 2025 in Lusaka, marking a significant milestone. Overall, the project reflects COMESA's strategic efforts to reduce technical barriers to trade, enhance food security, and support market access for agricultural producers across the region.

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