The SEED project (systematic Exchange of Electronic Data) is aimed at supporting the customs administrations of the Beneficiaries (Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo (under UNSCR1244), Montenegro, Serbia and former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia) in their efforts to implement the SEED system for the exchange of pre-arrival customs and fiscal information. With the implementation of SEED the customs administrations of the Beneficiaries should enhance their administrative capacity on IT and risk analysis, increase revenue and prevent/combat illegal trade, while improving regional cooperation.
Since the 2008, a consortium led by Italian Customs Administration and supported by Eutalia was awarded by the EU DG TAXUD the mandated to design and implement this technical assistance project.
The continuation of the SEED project (which we have been implementing since 2008, under the umbrella of the “SEMS” project) will complete and then update and maintan the system of exchange of pre-arrival information corresponding to trade flows between the Beneficiaries. If this information is correctly incorporated to risk analysis and post-clearance controls in the Beneficiaries, the following benefits can be achieved:
- Facilitation of legitimate trade: reliable trader should be submitted to a reduced percentage of customs controls;
- Better results in the fight against illicit trade, namely through better targeted customs controls (the customs administrators of the Beneficiaries will be able to identify changes in customs declaration between border crossing points). It should increase the number of seizures, prevent smuggling and increase customs revenue in the Beneficiaries.
- Prevention of corruption and facilitate the fight against organize crime (the automatic exchange of pre-arrival information will limit the scope for manipulation of customs procedures at the border).
- Improvement of Post Clearance Control efficiency (the exchanged pre-arrival information will remain available on the SEED database).
- Improvement of overall technical capacity of the customs administrations of the Beneficiaries;
- Improvement of cross border and regional cooperation;
- Promote Integrated Border Management (IBM).
