Better customs administration guidelines in Customs Union up for public discussion

The document is required to set clear goals in the development of legal acts and international treaties. It will also be useful in day-to-day operation, said the press service. Apart from the guidelines to improve customs administration the document includes further development of electronic declarations, introduction of automatic release, promotion of information interagency interaction, ways to reduce the time and the number of documents, deeper differentiation of foreign trade participants. The document also outlines the development of the institution of authorized economic operators, further development of the "two services" principle at the border and other proposals. As a result, it aims to achieve a balance of effective customs control and the facilitation of customs formalities.

The approaches the document outlines will be laid down by the new (modernized) Customs Code of the Customs Union that has been revised taking into account the practice of using the Code.

The major guidelines for improving customs administration have already been reviewed by the customs services of Belarus, Russia, and Kazakhstan. They were on the whole approved by the united board of the customs services of the Customs Union member states on 5 September 2012. However, the elaboration of the document requires all the interested sides to be involved, including the business communities, the academic circles of the Customs Union member states, said the press service of the Eurasian Economic Commission.

The draft major guidelines for improving customs administration are available on the website of the Eurasian Economic Commission. Proposals and remarks regarding the text can be emailed till 12 October.