REACH compliance among COMESA footwear tanners and SMEs

Beneficiary country

The beneficiary of this project is the COMESA Leather and Leather Products Institute (CLLPI), based in Addis Ababa – Ethiopia, whose 9 members are Eritrea, Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Project activities will be carried out in Ethiopia and Sudan; however the lessons learnt will be shared through a regional workshop, which will attract participation of other remaining countries.

Contracting Authority

The ACP-EU TBT programme will be the Contracting Authority on behalf of the Regional Authorising Officer for the European Development Project REG/FED/022-667.

Overall objective

The project will contribute to the achievement of the following overall objective.
To Promote COMESA LLPI Member States’ intraregional and international trade in the field of footwear

Purpose

The project will aim at achieving the following purpose.
To support selected tanneries and SMEs of Ethiopia and Sudan in their compliance with EU REACH Directive

Results to be achieved by the Contractor

Result 1 - COMESA regional Footwear standards are harmonised and in line with international standards
Result 2 -The use of chemicals in Tanneries of Eritrea, Ethiopia and Sudan is assessed and a detailed capacity building programme for Tanneries and selected SMEs is drafted.
Result 3 - Selected SMEs and Tanneries are supported in achieving EU REACH certification on the basis of a training of trainers approach

Result 4 - The accreditation process of selected Laboratories active in testing services to the leather sector is supported

Result 5 - Project results and good practices are shared in a final seminar