NPA, C4T and BDO will guide your company step-by-step through the AEO-certification process and help you obtain your AEO-certificate.

What we do

Our AEO team guides companies through the AEO certification process (application form, self assessment, annexes, audit...) depending on the required certificate and the type of stakeholder.

We have the experience to understand the needs in view of the self-assessment concerned and the set up of procedures, where necessary.

Furthermore we assist companies during the eventually audit of Customs in view of certification process as well as during the preparation of this audit.

Finally, it is our aim to follow your company's business continuously as AEO is of course an ongoing process.

Our AEO-partnership

We have a competent multi-disciplinary team where each partner is responsible for its own field of expertise:

• Audit on accountancy and logistical systems by BDO
  
  • BDO Belgium is a multidisciplinary team of almost 285 partners and staff, composed of auditors, accountants, tax and legal consultants, as well as advisors to the public sector.
• Audit on security issues by NPA Security Consulting
  
  • NPA Security Consulting is an independent, non-product affiliated agency active in the field of corporate and personal security.
• Audit on customs issues by C4T
  
  • Customs4trade is a tax consultancy company specialized in international trade, customs and excise advice.

About AEO

As from 1 January 2008 the European Union (EU) has introduced AEO, an EU harmonised accreditation regime for improving supply chain security.

AEO-certified companies will be considered by the Customs Authorities as trusted parties and receive operational benefits such as less physical inspections and handling by customs, the so-called "green lane".

The AEO certificate is available to any EU-based economic operator whose activities are covered by customs legislation: manufacturers, exporters, forwarders, customs agents, carries and importers. The AEO-status and the criteria for obtaining that status are based on the EU Customs legislation and the applicable EU Regulation.

There are three sorts of certificates: for customs Simplifications; for Security and Safety; or a combination of both (Simplification and Security/Safety)

Companies which are AEO certified will, depending on their position in the supply chain, receive incentive-based benefits such as:

• Less physical customs checks;
• Priority treatment for customs controls;
• Less data to be provided for pre-arrival and pre-departure declarations;
• Improve prevention and detection of internal fraud (due to more strict control strategies);
• National and international recognition

AEO-status is not mandatory, but voluntary. Companies seeking AEO-status must comply with certain criteria such as:

• Presence of an automated system that manages trade and transport data such that Customs can conduct control;
• Proven financial solvability (over the last 3 years);
• Adequate safety/security standards (physical security, access control, screening of personnel, etc.)

For more information on this subject we refer to the thematic AEO-website (Dutch and French version only) of the Belgian Customs and the specific site 'Customs and Security' of the European Commission.