The Customs Administration granted the first status of an authorized business entity

The Customs Administration granted the first status of authorized economic entity (AEO) to the Podgorica company Neregelia.

This status was granted in accordance with the highest standards of the European Union (EU) in the field of cooperation and partnership between customs and the business community (AEO concept).

The Customs Administration announced that AEO status was granted for customs simplifications (AEOC) and security and protection (AEOS).

"By obtaining the status of AEO, the company Neregelia was recognized by the customs as a reliable partner in the customs area of ​​Montenegro, which earned it the right to use a number of benefits in the customs procedure", announced the Customs Administration.

As they explained, the AEO concept, introduced by the World Customs Organization (WCO), is based on a partnership between customs authorities and businesses.

"Companies that meet a wide range of criteria cooperate closely with customs authorities on a voluntary basis in order to achieve a common goal - security of the supply chain. The concept is strongly based on the partnership between customs authorities and companies," the statement added.

This implies that the relationship between the customs authorities and the AEO functions on the principles of mutual transparency, correctness, honesty and responsibility.

The customs authority expects that the AEO acts in accordance with the customs legislation and that it informs the customs authority of all the difficulties encountered when complying with the regulations.

"The customs authority should provide them with support in order to achieve this," the announcement states.

The Customs Administration reminded that Montenegro established the AEO concept on the basis of internationally recognized standards, through amendments to the Customs Act and the adoption of the Decree for the Implementation of AEO in 2015.

"The program is open to all participants in the supply chain. The approval of AEO status, in the form of AEOC, is intended for companies based in Montenegro that would like to achieve the reliefs and simplifications specified in the customs legislation," the statement added.

AEOS status is intended for companies based in Montenegro, which want relief in terms of customs checks in relation to security and protection when goods enter or leave the customs territory of Montenegro.

“Both types of approval, AEOC and AEOS, can be used simultaneously. In that case, the holder of the approval must meet the criteria for acquiring the status of both AEOC and AEOS, and can use the benefits related to both statuses," the Administration explained.

The conditions that a company must fulfill in order to obtain AEO status include a high level of reliability and quality of business processes and internal control systems.

Among other things, it is necessary to have full business compliance with customs regulations for a long period of time, proper accounting and easy access to accounting records.

"Simplification, acceleration of customs procedures and reduction of business costs are the main advantages of acquiring the status of AEO, which has a positive impact on the stability of companies' operations through technological investments, voluntary compliance with safety regulations and raising the quality standards of goods, which achieve important benefits for the end user, i.e. citizens," said the Administration.

During the establishment of the AEO Program in Montenegro, the Customs Administration had the technical assistance of the German Organization for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank (WB).

All interested companies can link find the MNE AEO guidelines with attachments, which describe in detail each criterion that the company must meet, as well as the procedure for submitting an application and obtaining approval.