Arab Republic of Egypt Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade General Organization for Export and Import Control

In a new step that confirms Egypt's leadership in the field of quality infrastructure, the General Organization for Export and Import Control (GOEIC) was selected as one of the entities receiving full support within the African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) project. This followed a competition that included 32 entities from 16 countries. Only two entities were selected at the conformity assessment level to receive comprehensive support towards international accreditation.

This selection is a culmination of the GEOIC's achievements, most notably its registration as a COMESA reference laboratory in the fields of additives and microbiology. This achievement reflects the GOEIC's pivotal role in ensuring the quality of Egyptian products and supporting trade confidence and the competitiveness of Egyptian exports at the regional and international levels.

Regarding the Project:

The project is part of a large-scale international program aimed at strengthening productive capacities and value chains in ACP countries. It is financed under mandate agreement No. FED/2018/403-924, through:

• European Union (EU): The main funder of the project.
• Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS): A strategic partner in funding and support.
• United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO): Implements the technical component, focusing on supporting quality infrastructure and technical regulations.
• Pan-African Quality Institutions (PAQI): such as ARSO, AFRAC, and AFRIMETS, in partnership with the African Union Commission.

The Project's Objectives:

The program aims to achieve the following economic and social impact:

• Enhancing the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and their products.
• Ensuring consumer safety.
• Increasing the contribution of ACP countries to the global multilateral trading system.
•  Support for conformity assessment bodies (CABs)

The project focuses specifically on supporting and developing conformity assessment bodies, including laboratories, inspection and accreditation bodies, and conformity certification bodies, through:

1. Support for 32 selected conformity assessment bodies (testing, calibration, accreditation, inspection, conformity).
2. Training 96 employees on ISO standards such as ISO/IEC 17025, ISO/IEC 17020, ISO/IEC 17065, and ISO/IEC 17021
3. Analyzing quality gaps in the quality management systems of these organizations.
4. Preparing 10 entities to be ready to obtain international accreditation

Funding the project:

• Main funder: European Union (EU)
• Funding agreement: FED/2018/403-924
• Total budget: 7.0 million euros
• Implementation period:
• Start: January 2022
• Original ending: December 2025
• Possible new end: December 2026 (with no cost)

The importance of this achievement for the state:

The GOEIC's selection from among a large number of applicants reflects the international community's confidence in Egypt's institutional quality infrastructure and highlights the GOEIC's position as a leading entity on the continent in calibration, inspection, testing, and conformity assessment.

This support represents a qualitative step towards achieving international accreditation, strengthening Egypt's role in the multilateral trading system, and achieving greater integration into global value chains, which will have a direct impact on industry, exports, and investment.