OSCE Centre in Astana promotes international standards in cross-border trade within Customs Union

ASTANA, 14 May 2012 – Facilitating cross-border trade and transport operations within the Customs Union comprised of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia is the subject of a regional seminar that started in Astana today.

The five-day seminar has been organized by the OSCE Centre in Astana and the World Customs Organization in co-operation with Kazakhstan’s Customs Committee. It brought together some 70 customs officers from the Union’s three countries, officials from Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, Finance Ministry, international experts as well as private sector representatives.

“Streamlining customs operations in line with international standards helps facilitate trade and promotes the country’s economic growth,” Ambassador Natalya Zarudna, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana said. “Today’s workshop aims to assist the Customs Union member countries to reduce administrative barriers and incorporate international standards into the national legislation.”

During the seminar experts from Finland, Lithuania and Poland will share their experience in using the EU’s Common Administrative Document, which is designed to simplify and harmonize customs information requirements. They will also discuss the information system used in the EU for the early notification of the movement of goods, as well as learn about the procedural aspects of joining the 1987 Convention on the Simplification of Formalities in Trade in Goods, and the Convention on a Common Transit Procedure, which the Customs Union is considering for accession.

Igor Ten, the Deputy Chairperson of the Kazakhstan Customs Committee, said: “The seminar is timely, as it will help us unify customs documents, and harmonize the rules for the declaration of goods and our advance information system to meet the business sector’s needs.”

The seminar participants were provided information on the recently released ‘OSCE-UNECE Handbook of Best Practices at Border Crossings a Trade and Transport Facilitation Perspective’. The publication contains over 120 international examples of how to facilitate legitimate cross border operations, and presents information on the wide range of instruments at the disposal of governments for developing and implementing better trade, transport, border and customs policies.