The Deputy Director of Customs and Special Taxes opens the 12th Customs Forum at the Port of Palma
Palma de Mallorca
19/05/2014
On 16th and 17th May, the Port of Palma hosted the 12th Customs Forum, which was opened by Marisa González, the Deputy Director of the Department of Customs and Special Taxes, which is part of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. The meeting was held at the headquarters of the Association of Maritime Activities Employers (APEAM) in the Balearic Islands, and was attended by the Chairman of the Customs Agents Council, José Miguel Soldevilla, and the APEAM Chairman, Miguel Puigserver. The Forum’s closing address, on Saturday, was given by the Director-General of the Balearic Islands’ Ports and Airports, Antonio Deudero.
During this two-day event, which was held in collaboration with the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands, Grupo Taric, and the Customs Agents Association, over 100 customs representatives discussed the future of their profession. According to Soldevilla, the Forum “will serve to lay down the guidelines for our profession over the next few years”.
As announced by the Chairman of the World Customs Association at the 2nd Global AEO (Authorised Economic Operators) Conference, held recently in Madrid, the EU and China will be signing a mutual recognition agreement in the next few months. This agreement will smooth the way for any small companies that apply AEO criteria.
Customs agents obtaining the AEO certificate will reap multiple benefits, which will result in faster processes and greater legal protection in the EU and countries that have signed agreements of this type (United States, Japan, Switzerland, Norway, and Andorra).
