In 2005, the EU Commission’s Project Group on Single European Authorization was given a mandate to examine a common approach in order to encourage the use of Single Authorizations, not only for customs procedures with economic impact and end-use, but also for simplified procedures at import and export, including cases in which a customs procedure with economic impact is followed by release for free circulation. With the passage of regulation (EC) 1192/2008 of the European Commission potential savings of implementing an SASP solution, can immediately be identified.

A Single Authorization for a simplified procedure provides the possibility of using the local clearance procedure or the simplified declaration procedure to perform the customs formalities in the Member State where the economic operator is established, for his imports/exports wherever they occur in the Community. It enables an economic operator to centralize the accounting and payment of customs duties for all transactions in the Member State where he is established, regardless of the place where the movement of goods occurs. The physical control and release of goods may take place in another Member State.

This is a major facilitation measure as the operator can:
- concentrate in-house customs expertise at a single location allowing for a reduction in office space, manpower, computer hardware/software;
- more efficient and flexible customs clearance via one customs office, for goods physically entering several Member States;
- communication with only one customs administration with respect to the release of the goods as well as all decisions and notifications.
- conduct the formalities in only one language.
- minimize inquiries by the customs authorities as the officials become more aware of your products, business and classifications.

A number of customs authorities have, on the basis of agreement with each other, authorized centralized clearance involving simplified entry of goods, which are located in another Member State, for the customs procedure concerned notably for inward processing, customs warehousing and less frequently, for release for free circulation. Although there may be benefits both for the economic operators and customs authorities, there are still several obstacles for granting the SASP that need to be agreed on a bilateral basis by the Member States, such as providing the statistical data to the concerned national authorities, VAT and allocating the collection cost of the custom duties. Economic operators that want to request a SASP need to fulfill the AEO requirements for simplified procedures. Since January 1 2009 economic operators can request for a SASP in the Member State where the main accounts for customs purposes are held.

The European Commission adopted today a Regulation which sets a transitional period from 1 July 2009 to 31 December 2010 during which traders will have the option of submitting electronic entry or exit summary declarations on goods before they enter or leave the EU. Unanticipated delays have occurred in the implementation process of electronic entry or exit summary declarations so that not all actors will be in a position to submit those declarations by 1 July 2009. In order to increase security in the international trade in goods, the EU has introduced in 2006 the obligation for traders to submit electronic advance information to customs authorities in order to enable them to carry out computerized risk analysis on the basis of such information before the goods are presented to customs (IP/06/1821). During the transitional period, goods not declared in advance will be submitted to risk analysis after arrival or before departure of those goods. The Regulation can be found at these web links: http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/customs/procedural_aspects/general/community_code/article_5660_en.htm http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/common/legislation/legislation/customs/index_en.htm Further information on the security aspects of customs can be found at this web link: http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/customs/policy_issues/customs_security/index_en.htm Further information on the Community Customs Code and its implementing provisions can be found on this web site: http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/customs/procedural_aspects/general/community_code/index_en.htm
Source: Press notice 2 April EU Commission (Reference: MEX/09/0402)

Customs4trade is proud to be part of the newly established customs network ‘The Customs Advisors’. Together with Gommers Customs Consultants and Customs Partners, C4T wants to be the logical alternative for international trade & customs advisory across Europe.

Together they share the same passion for customs, offer the same standards in quality and are committed to their clients and jobs. They all occupied senior roles at the Customs Authorities and at least at one of the “Big 4″.

Through the network, they can now offer cross border services without potential conflicts of interest, audit restrictions and excessive fees.

www.thecustomsadvisors.eu

An online platform has been launched for the delivrance of the Certificates of Origin.  This platform is named the DigiChambers and has been developed by the Belgian Chambers of Commerce in cooperation with the Federal Public Service Economy and the Department for Administrative Simplification.

From now on, you have the possibility to apply online on the website of the DigiChambers for your Certificates of Origin and have them printed at your desk after approval of the Chamber of Commerce. You can upload attachments in several formats which are automatically converted to PDF.

You can contact your local Chamber of Commerce for more information. They are shortly organizing sessions on the use of this platform.

Click here for access to the DigiChambers website.

The EU’s Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) is a trade arrangement through which the EU provides preferential access to the EU market to 176 developing countries and territories, in the form of reduced tariffs for their goods when entering the EU market.

GSP covers three separate preference regimes:

• the standard GSP, which provides preferences to 176 developing countries and territories on around 6400 tariff lines;
• the special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance, known as GSP+, which offers additional tariff reductions to support vulnerable developing countries in their ratification and implementation of international conventions;
• the Everything But Arms (EBA) arrangement, which provides Duty-free, Quota-Free access for all products for the 50 Least-Developed Countries on 7200 tariff lines.

The 16 beneficiary countries from 1 January 2009 until the end of 2011 will be: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Georgia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Sri Lanka and Venezuela.  These countries will have duty-free access to the EU market for around 6400 tariff lines in addition to the standard GSP.

GSP+ preferences are of real economic value to the beneficiary countries: in 2007 there was 4.7 billion € worth of trade under this scheme, with a nominal duty loss (compared to standard GSP rates) for the EU of over 357 million €. The duty-free access means a considerable tariff reduction over the rates applied under the regular GSP scheme. Tariff cuts include tobacco (cut by up to 52%), various fruit juices (up to 30%), fruits (up to 20%), vegetables (up to 14%), fish (up to 20%) and honey (up to 17%).

Source: Weekly Trade News of the European Commission, 11 december 2008.