Customs authorities can grant the status of AEO to any business that satisfies EU criteria. Once a company has been granted AEO status in one Member State it will be recognised across all Member states. AEO status became effective from 1st January 2008.
AEOs will be able to benefit from facilitations for customs controls or simplifications for customs rules or both, depending on the type of AEO certificate. There are three certificate types:
Customs Simplifications - AEOs will be entitled to benefit from simplifications provided for under the customs rules.
Security and Safety - AEOs will be entitled to benefit from facilitations of customs controls relating to security and safety at the entry of the goods into the customs territory of the Community, or when the goods leave the customs territory of the Community.
Customs Simplifications/Security and Safety - AEOs will be entitled to benefit from both simplifications provided for under the customs rules and from facilitations of customs controls relating to security and safety (a combination of one and two).
EU
The EUROPA - Taxation and Customs Union website has Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) information that applies to all the Member States of the EU, including an overview and more detailed information:
* Please note the 3 documents above can be viewed in all the official languages of the EU from the AEO Overview page.
Commission Recommended Model on AEO Self-Assessment
This document provides a practical tool for an economic operator to perform a self-assessment and can form part of the process of applying for the AEO status.
It follows on from the legislation, EC Regulation 648/2005 and 1875/2006 and the related AEO Guidelines.
This model on self-assessment was recommended by the AEO Pilot group working on the AEO Guidelines.
The Commission services recommend its use as a model for self-assessment to facilitate the AEO application process.
Netherlands
Dutch Customs have recently released an AEO brochure entitled:
Veranderingen voor bedrijfsleven en Douane
Authorised Economic Operator (AEO)
The brochure inserts (in Dutch) can be accessed electronically (as .pdfs) by clicking the appropriate links below:
United Kingdom
The HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) website contains detailed information relating to the AEO initiative, including an overview, FAQ's and the document that needs to be competed by traders wishing to become an AEO.
The information can be viewed on-line and/or downloaded:
The HMRC webiste also contains links to the AEO application form and the AEO questionnaire. When applying for AEO status both forms need to be downloaded, completed and sent to the following e-mail address or postal address: