AUTHORIZED ECONOMIC OPERATOR PROGRAM: INCREASING THE AWARENESS AND PARTICIPATION OF OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN NORTH MACEDONIA

Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) concept is one of the main building blocks of the World Customs Organization (WCO) Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade (SAFE) and is currently implemented in around 100 countries worldwide, including the European Union. The key foundation of the AEO approach is the customs-to-business partnership based on transparency, fairness and mutual trust. AEO is actively being implemented in North Macedonia since 2019.

To further facilitate the movement of companies with status of an Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) across borders, on December 13, 2023 USAID Partnerships for Economic Growth Activity (P4EG) organized the event Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Program: Increasing the Awareness and Participation of Other Government Agencies in North Macedonia. The event was designed and delivered in partnership with the Customs Administration of North Macedonia and the Center for Development Policies IDEAS DePo.

Key objectives of the event were to increase the understanding of government agencies with responsibilities in cross-border trade of the key features of the AEO concept, to facilitate discussion between them and Customs on potential concerns related to AEO implementation and to discuss modalities that would enable their active participation in the AEO program. Participants included 37 representatives of government institutions that perform regulatory responsibilities in cross-border trade, including but not limited to controls at the border, issuing of licenses for imports and exports, and trade via special means of transport or types of goods.