A WCO National Workshop on the modernization of the Customs Laboratory of Albania, funded by the WCO Reserves fund, was held at the Customs Laboratory in Tirana from 6 to 9 February 2018.

The Customs Laboratory is a well-equipped, medium-sized laboratory that was recently relocated to a new modern building in September 2017.

In response to the special interest indicated by Albanian Customs, the training course provided theoretical and hands-on training in classifying products from Chapter 27, including waste mineral oils and practical case studies on mineral oils. In order to unify analytical methods with the European Customs Laboratories, the expert from Greece demonstrated how to implement specific ISO standards on petroleum products and evaluate analysis data for the purposes of their correct identification in terms of the Harmonized System (HS).  This also gave an immediate example of the value of regional cooperation in sharing best practices on Customs chemical analysis.

In addition, there was a focus on safety procedures in their workplaces and the relevant aspects of the Action Plan for Phase III of the Revenue Package.

At the closing of the Workshop, Mr. Arber Misja, Director of the Customs Laboratory of Albania, highlighted the continuous support given by the WCO for contributing to the efforts made by the Customs Laboratory of Albania to build its capacity on analyzing different kind of products and to increase its knowledge in the HS. He concluded by thanking the representative from the Greek Customs Administration and the WCO Secretariat’s Tariff and Trade Affairs Directorate.