EU AND TÜRKIYE AGREE TO MUTUALLY RECOGNISE TRUSTED TRADER PROGRAMMES
The European Commission has welcomed a Decision adopted by the EU-Türkiye Customs Cooperation Committee to mutually recognise the respective Authorised Economic Operator programmes. The mutual recognition agreement, announced on 16 July, strengthens cooperation between customs authorities on both sides and enhances supply chain security while facilitating legitimate trade between the two markets.
Under the agreement, customs authorities will be able to take an operator's trusted trader status into account in their risk assessments and when determining the level of controls applied. The agreement will enter into force once the structured information exchanges regarding the status of authorised operators have been established between the two customs administrations.
The Decision builds on the existing EU-Türkiye Customs Union, which has been in place since 1995 on the basis of the 1963 Ankara Agreement and its 1970 Additional Protocol. The scope of the Customs Union remains limited to products other than agricultural goods, as well as coal and steel products, which continue to be governed by separate preferential arrangements based on their originating status.
The European Commission has indicated that further guidance and practical information will be made available to support implementation, including targeted communication to businesses and customs practitioners. CLECAT will continue to monitor developments regarding the practical rollout of the AEO mutual recognition arrangement and its implications for operators trading with Türkiye.
Source: European Commission