The USAID Regional Economic Growth (REG) Project and AmCham collaborated with the Customs Administration to organize a seminar at which businesses were able to learn more about the National Trade Facilitation Body (NTFB) and options for becoming an Authorized Economic Operator (AEO).

The NTFB was set up at the initiative of the business community to work together with the public and private sector to address obstacles to foreign trade. Tatjana Dinkić, of the NTFB Secretariat, said that the body would contribute to trade facilitation and allow Serbia to meet its international commitments, as well as coordinate all line ministries and organizations relevant for these issues. She added that the NTFB would be proactive and that its efforts would be based on action planning and expert groups. Four such working parties have been created within the NTFB.

Snežana Karanović, Assistant Director of the Customs Procedures Division at the Customs Administration underlined that the main purpose of AEOs was to enhance customs procedures so that businesses could operate more efficiently and at lower cost.

Vladimir Ilić, Independent Advisor with the Department for Simplified Customs Procedures at the Customs Administration, provided a detailed description of the procedure for becoming an AEO and the benefits to be gained from this status. An AEO must be approved by the national customs administration after having met a set of specific criteria, which permits it to be recognized as a reliable partner.