Good Manufacturing Practices (or GMP) is a quality system used by the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industry, including also GMP Animal Feed. GMP’s are guidelines that outline the aspects of production and testing. Records of manufacture (including distribution) that enable the complete history of a batch to be traced are retained in a comprehensible and accessible form.

The basic GMP rules:

1. GMP certified companies need to dispose of written work methods:  Procedures, instruction sheets, forms, … This set of documents is the “quality manual” and describes e.g. how to purchase, transport, store, produce and a series of other activities take place;
2. GMP certified companies have to follow the work methods: The written procedures have to be applied. This means that the reality has to correspond with the written work methods;
3. GMP certified companies have to provide evidence: GMP companies have to prove to the internal and external auditor that they apply to the identified rules in the written procedures. Documents to guarantee any kind of control have to be created.

These 3 basic rules are very useful for the AEO certification process, but the overlap goes even further: Setting up a GMP system cannot be done without the support of the executive board. This support is also crucial for the AEO certification process.

For the GMP certification inventories of e.g. vehicles, equipment, inbound and outbound flows, staff … are needed. These inventories, as well as the schematic overview of the activities, are useful for the AEO certification. Very interesting is the risk analysis. This GMP risk analysis is concentrated on the potential risks regarding food and feed safety. The extension to safety and security in AEO isn’t far away.

AEO certification needs ?

C4T has developed the AEO tool to support your AEO certification process. This webbased tool decreases the efforts of internal/external ressources and reduces the project time. Our AEO tool is an interactive platform assuring a user-friendly and flexible way of working and can be used for your AEO certification needs in 27 EU Member States.

The C4T AEO-tool can be ordered with or without C4T AEO assistance. Upon your request, our competent AEO team guids you through the AEO certification process:

• Self-assessment: guidance, co-ordination, review or validation procedures;
• Identify remediation measures;
• Develop and implement an internal control plan;
• Draft and submit your application;
• Assistance with the audit by the customs authorities.

If you want more information, contact us  info@customs4trade.com

On June 24^th the EU and Japan have signed the Decision establishing mutual recognition of AEOs. This offers enhanced trade facilitation opportunities provided by customs to certified trustworthy traders on both sides who have invested in securing their supply chains. In this way customs can also concentrate on high risks.

With this Decision, the EU and Japan establish the equivalence of their AEO programmes and provide for recognition of each other’s security certified operators. Japanese AEOs will receive benefits by European customs that are comparable to those received by EU AEOs. Japan will apply the same for EU AEOs in Japan.

This Decision on mutual recognition of AEOs is an important milestone both in trade facilitation and in securing the global supply chain.

Source: Press Release 24/06/2010 Taxaation and Customs Union DG

The EU electronic course which is designed to help companies learn the relevant facts about AEO legislation & process has been updated.

Following the legislative changes, the content has been adapted with the mandatory obligation to enter the EORI number in the AEO application and the deadlines for issuing the certifates.  

This course has been developed by the Customs and Taxation Directorate General of the European commission. It is their target is to foster a uniform implementation of the standards throughout the EU.

The AEO electronic course can be freely accesses and downloaded here.

Recently the Belgian Customs Administration has decided to eliminate or reduce certain guarantees for AEO certified companies. The Circular of May 18, 2010 lays down the provisions for granting an exemption or a reduction in security for authorized economic operators (AEO certified companies) with customs activities in Belgium.

An exemption from the security is granted for:
1. the temporary storage of goods in anticipation of the declaration;
2. the placing of goods under economic customs procedures (customs warehousing and inward processing relief) and for processing of goods under customs control in the name of the AEO certified operator;
3. the comprehensive guarantee on Community / Common transit to the extent of the reference amount if
a. the Belgium-based operator is the authorized declarant AND
b. the approved operator has sufficient experience in using the system Community / common transit and has control over transportation to the required criteria of the CCA AND
c. the Community / Common transit does not cover goods with a higher risk of fraud as defined in the CCA.

If the approved operator has no control over the transport, the amount of the guarantee is reduced to 30% of the reference amount.

If the Community / common transit concerns goods with a higher risk of fraud, the amount of the comprehensive guarantee is reduced in Belgium to 30% of the reference amount if:
1. the in Belgium-based authorized operator is the declarant AND
2. the approved operator has sufficient experience on the use of the scheme Community / common transit and has control over transportation to the required criteria of the CCA.

If the approved operator does not have sufficient experience on the use of the scheme Community / common transit or has not enough control over the transport, no reduction of the guarantee is granted.

If you have any question regarding this information, contact us for more information.

The purpose of the Self-assessment is to support economic operators in evaluating the requirements necessary for obtaining the AEO status. It provides Customs with additional information about the economic operator in order to facilitate the customs evaluation of the AEO-application and the subsequent examination.

Complexity of the Self-assessment

1. All departments are involved (HR, Production, Logistics, Sales, Customs, Security, Safety, IT,…). The internal communication is time consuming before a final agreed answer is written down on the Self-assessment questionnaire.
2. An EU model of the self-assessment questionnaire is available, but specific national provisions have forced Member States to create adapted assessment models.
3. Different languages can be involved.
4. It is nearly impossible to get an overview of the status of the self-assessment when it is in process.
5. The Self-assessment must be updated in case of changes, it is a continuous process.

C4T AEO-tool: the solution to match your needs!

- User-friendly web-based tool
- Interactive communication platform
- Upload documents related to the questionnaire
- Manage your complex organisational structures
- User management
- Secured portal
- Flexible, available at any time and any place
- Status of questions and overview of the Self-assessment is known at any moment
- Significant reduction of project time, external and internal resources
- Less travel time
- Re-activation of the assessment
- Tailor-made assistance

Interested in more information? info@customs4trade.com