Improving the Border Agency Cooperation
Among the OIC Member States for Facilitating Trade
101
Rules of origin
The task of the CEFTA Sub-committee on Customs and Rules of Origin is to ensure the
implementation of simplification and facilitation of customs procedures in accordance with
Article 14.4. of CEFTA 2006 and to report to the Committee of Trade Facilitation about
implementation in this matter. The specific functions of the Sub-committee are the following
two:
1) Exchange and discuss the implementation of the relevant provisions of CEFTA 2006
regarding simplification and facilitating customs procedures in the region.
2) Ensure harmonized implementation of common rules of origin with a view to inter alia
enabling diagonal cumulation of origin182 , within the region, and without delay – focusing
specifically to:
 Exchange information on a regular basis on the implementation of rules of origin.
 Monitor and discuss how the parties implement provisions regarding rules of origin
and administrative co-operation.
 Discuss measures to control and ensure the validity of certificates of origin.
 Improve dialogue with relevant business organizations so that traders are informed of
procedures involved in obtaining certificates of origin.
 Consider what measures to take at the regional level in order to ensure participation of
CEFTA parties in cumulation zones under the Pan-Europe Mediterranean Convention
(PEM Convention) and to extend their benefits in preferential treatment from the rules
of origin.
 Elaborate joint positions for CEFTA parties which are to be presented in the revision
process of the PEM Convention.
 Notify the Joint Committee of the PEM Convention on the decision taken by CEFTA
parties which derogates from the PEM Convention.
 To coordinate technical assistance to be provided to CEFTA parties through regional
programs in the relevant areas under the mandate of the Subcommittee. 183
Harmonization of technical measures
The main task of the CEFTA Working Group on Technical Measures is to initiate discussions to
conclude mutual recognition agreements in the relevant areas of technical measures as
foreseen by Article 12.3 and Article 13.4 of CEFTA 2006 Agreement that aligned with the
relevant EU acquis and with WTO and with other international agreements. Furthermore, the
182 In relation to this topic, it is worth mentioning about the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean cumulation and the PEM Convention.
The system of Pan-Euro-Mediterranean cumulation of origin allows for the application of diagonal cumulation between the
EU, EFTA States (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway Switzerland), the signatories of the Barcelona Declaration (Algeria, Cyprus,
Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey), the Western Balkans and the Faroe
Islands. Diagonal cumulation means that “materials which have obtained originating status in one of the contracting parties
may be incorporated in products manufactured in another contracting party without those products losing their originating
status when exported to a third contracting party within the pan-Euro-Med zone”. The application of diagonal cumulation of
origin within the Pan-Euro-Med zone is based on a network of FTAs having identical origin protocols. The protocols of the
rules of origin are currently in the process of being replaced by the rules of origin laid down in the PEM Convention. The
PEM Convention will eventually replace the network of about 60 bilateral protocols on rules of origin in force in the pan-
Euro-Med zone with a single legal instrument. The main objective of the PEM Convention is to enable a more effective
management of the system of pan-Euro-Med cumulation of origin by allowing the contracting parties to better react to the
rapidly changing economic environment (Expert Twinning Project, Albania Customs administration, 2016).
183 Decision of the Joint Committee of CEFTA 2006, 2015.