On 7 November 2019, Ukraine launched the AEO programme to fulfil its obligations under the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement.
Introduced by the World Customs Organisation, AEO-status is an internationally recognised programme that has been adopted in more than 80 countries. It provides a voluntary standard framework that confirms the reliability of a company involved in international supply chains. Today, about 75% of customs clearances in the EU involve companies with AEO status.
For this reason, the Ukrainian government strongly encourages local companies obtain this status and thus benefit from simplified custom procedures.
Furthermore, effective 7 November 2023 all exports and imports of goods to and from Ukraine must be presented to the relevant Ukrainian customs authorities, meaning that it is highly likely customs procedures will become more complicated and costly. However, there is an sole exception for companies with AEO-C status and/or authorisation to apply "release-at-location". These companies can request that customs control be diverted to an alternative location which might offer a shorter delay and/or lower costs.
Obtaining AEO-C status or other authorisation for customs simplifications require considerable effort on the part of a company: you’ll need to review and describe existing processes and procedures in detail, involving all departments (e.g. finance, IT, HR, etc.) in a comprehensive interaction to ensure that all the required processes and internal controls are in place and properly organised.
At the same time, AEO-C status or other authorisation enables companies to take advantage of simplified customs procedures; speeding up customs clearance processes and reducing risk.
