Noël Colpin, the Administrator of the Belgian Customs and Excise Administration, will be in charge of ‘Globally Networked Customs’, a high level WCO working group. ‘Globally Networked Customs’ is an important element of the WCO vision for Customs in the 21st century.

Information technology has enabled customs to be connected electronically to each other, which facilitated the exchange of information in customs operations, including border protection. Therefore the WCO issued in June 2008 ‘Customs in the 21st Century’, a document that sets out strategic direction for customs worldwide. It describes the new challenges and role of customs in the 21st century, explains customs missions and objectives underpinning it. It provides information on development of the new strategic direction for customs and explains the future role of the WCO. In particular, it highlights the coordinated border management and globally networked customs.

The new challenges of the 21st Century demand a new concept of Customs-to-Customs cooperation, a closer real-time collaboration between Customs administrations and between Customs and business in facilitating legitimate trade and undertaking Customs controls, in support of the international trading system.

Therefore a global Customs network was created in partnership between the public and the private sectors to support the international trading system, the so-called ‘e-Customs network’.

The aim of the ‘e-Customs network’ is to ensure seamless, real-time and paperless flows of information and connectivity. This includes mutual recognition of Customs controls and Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programmes.

Coming Thursdag, 27th November, Porthus is organizing a Customs Event in Metropolis Antwerp.  Objective of this event is to provide information on the new European electronic customs regulations, which are going to have a major impact on the operations of companies trading internationally with, and within, the European Union.  At this event, you will find out how you can use these new compliance regulations to save costs and bring additional benefits to your business.

Info sessions will take place with guest speakers from FedEx, WCO, JP Morgan, Gartner, Omron and Customs4trade.

Topics are:

• Security&Compliance
• From Supply Chain to Supply Chain Optimization
• OnDemand
• July 2009

The event takes place from 14h00 to 17h00 at Metropolis Antwerp, Groenendaallaan 394, 2030 Antwerp, Belgium.

For more information and subcription, click here  

Bruno Fransman, Strategic Trade Initiatives Manager at Honeywell Automation & Control Solutions and Pieter Haesaert, managing partner at customs4trade have been asked to update the members of the ’Beroepsvereniging voor Boekhoudkundige Beroepen’ on customs issues.  Seen the recent developments  on MASP & PLDA, there will be a lot to talk about.  

The sessions will take place in 7 different locations (Aalst, Waregem, Gent, Ruddervoorde, Antwerpen, Beringen, Leuven) during the month of January 2009.

For more information www.bbb-vzw.be or secretariaat@bbb-vzw.be

On September 24, 2008 OTM (the Belgian Shippers Council) organized a seminar on Supply Chain Security. During the seminar Mr. N. Colpin, Administrator of Belgian Customs & Excises, held a presentation on AEO. After this presentation the first AEO certificates in Belgium were granted by Mr. B. Clerfayt, State Secretary of Finance and Mr. N. Colpin. The first five AEO certified companies recognized in Belgium are Nitto Europe NV, Caterpillar Belgium SA, MSC Belgium NV, D&W Bvba and Evonik Degussa Antwerpen NV. Mr. Colpin also emphasized that in the mean time the Belgian audit methodology has been acknowledged by the European Commission. Currently, only 74 AEO applications, on a potential of 3.000 applications, have been submitted. At this moment 28 applications are being investigated. Given the fact that the Belgian audit methodology has been approved it is to be expected that the AEO certification process in Belgium should speed up.    Source picture: De Lloyd

On 24th and 25th September, Prologistics will take place in the Brussels Expo.  During this fair all major providers of total solutions in Warehousing, Handling, Transport, Distribution, Logistics Software, Data Capturing and Logistics Consultancy will be present. 

Several learnshops on Logistics Management will take place and awards for the fastest growing companies, active in the transport and logistics sector, will be handed over.

Moreover, O.T.M., Belgian Shippers’ Council is organising its ‘2nd Day of the Shipper’ on the hot topics of Supply Chain Security ‘Leading or threat’! on 24th September.   O.T.M offers an attractive program, with both an informative section on all sorts of mandatory security requirements and testimonies of security in practice in the business processes.  The most important announcement on the site of O.T.M is that in addition, during the ‘2nd Day of the Shipper’ the first Belgian AEO certificate will be issued.

We will keep you informed !