The European Commission highly rated the results of Ukraine’s approximation to the customs union.

This is stated in the Conclusion of the European Commission regarding Ukraine’s application for membership in the European Union.

In the context of European integration processes, the following main achievements of Ukraine in the customs sphere were noted in the Conclusion of the European Commission:

· became a member of the Convention on a Common Transit Procedure and the Convention on the Simplification of Formalities in Trade in Goods on October 1, 2022;

· connected to the customs common communication network of the EU (CCN) and uses the New Computerized Transit System (NCTS);

· fulfilled about 80% of its customs obligations under the Association Agreement with the EU, including in the key areas of transit, the system of simplifications, guarantees and intellectual property rights;

· the national AEO program is in effect;

· Ukraine is a contracting party to the Pan-Euro-Med Convention on the Rules of Origin of Goods;

· the legislation on the control of cultural values has been brought into line with the EU rules.

Further steps to be taken by Ukraine in accordance with the Conclusion of the European Commission:

· finalization of the IT system for granting authorizations;

· increasing the level of use of the AEO program for successful evaluation and mutual recognition with the EU AEO program;

· final harmonization of the customs legislation of Ukraine with EU legislation (it is necessary to bring about 20% of the legal base in the customs sphere into compliance with EU rules and harmonize the Customs Code of Ukraine with the EU Customs Code);

· development and improvement of customs IT systems – a priority for the coming years;

· improvement of current procedures and work methods in some operational areas to improve implementation and compliance with customs legislation adapted to EU requirements;

· clarification and elimination of differences in the direction of protection of intellectual property rights.

The EU4PFM program is proud to be a part of the changes and remains a reliable partner of the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine and the State Customs Service and will continue to support Ukraine on its way to European integration.

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