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.

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.

Under the Belgian law, a customs agent is currently acting in his own name and on behalf of third parties.  This indirect representation means a big responsibility for the customs agents that can hardly be ensured.

The Confederation of Belgian Forwarders (commonly known as CEB) is in favour of offering the choice between direct and indirect representation.  

By end of february, the Belgian Customs Authorities are starting talks with the CEB about acquiring this direct representation status in Belgium.

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

The names of the first Belgian customs representatives abroad have recently been published: Paul Raes (Moscow), Isabelle De Stobbeleir (Beijing), Carine Willems (Pretoria), Werner Vandercruyssen (New Delhi) and Philip Bogaert (Washington D.C).  Referring to our article of 5th May, these people have been appointed to represent the Belgian Customs Authorities in the above mentionned countries.   The representatives are expected to liaise between the customs authorities of the guest country and the Belgian customs authorities.  They should assist foreign companies interested in dealing with Belgian companies and act as contact for economic operators and our administrations in the field of the AEO certification path. The post of customs representative is assigned for a period of 4 years and can maximum be twice extended with 1 year.