Within the framework of the WCO-SECO Global Trade Facilitation Programme (GTFP), WCO-accredited AEO experts from Denmark and India provided capacity building assistance to the Customs Administration of Serbia (CAS) to enhance its AEO programme in alignment with the SAFE Framework of Standards and WTO TFA Article 7.7.

The mission was delivered from 5 to 9 September 2022 as part of a blended activity that began in July 2022 with two virtual technical meetings with the Serbian AEO team with the overall objective to develop and implement an AEO strategy and an action plan to enhance the AEO programme to reach out to all traders.

During the week the WCO experts held sessions with the Serbian AEO team, other CAS officials from IT, Risk Management, Communication and HR, and private sector participants representing both AEO and non-AEO companies. This approach helped set up channels to receive and include their input in the drafting of the strategy. A visit to an inland Customs terminal in Belgrade provided insight into an actual implementation of the AEO concept in practice.

An important achievement from this mission was the conclusion of the final draft of an AEO strategy and recommendations for further improving the action plan and communication strategy designed to disseminate the benefits of the AEO programme among traders.

For more information on the GTFP, please, contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org.