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2016 OAS Guidelines

Section II: Reception and acceptance of the application

The general procedures to be followed when submitting an application for AEO status are described in Articles 22 and 38 of the CAU, Articles 11 to 13 and 26 to 28 of the AD CAU, and Articles 10 and 12 of the AE CAU. Until the date of the CAU AEO System update, the application will be submitted with the information contained in Annex 1 C of the DACA. Upon receipt of the application form, the customs authorities examine it and decide whether to accept or reject it. The following common general considerations should be taken into account in all cases:

  • The application must be submitted in accordance with the requirements set out in Article 22, paragraph 1, of the CAU and Article 11 of the AD CAU.
  • A Self-Assessment Questionnaire (CAE) must be submitted with the application, as provided for in Article 26, Section 1, of the AD CAU.
  • Customs authorities must have all the necessary information to quickly verify the conditions of acceptance in the submitted application. This can be achieved by accessing the relevant databases or by asking the applicant to submit it with the application.
  • Where appropriate, customs should also use other available sources of information, such as common EU databases, contacts with other authorities, information on the website of the company concerned, etc.
  • If additional information is required, the customs authorities must request it from the applicant as soon as possible, but in no event later than thirty calendar days from the date of receipt of the request in accordance with Article 12(2) of the UCC.
  • There is no deadline for the applicant to submit the additional information required. In these cases, the relevant national administrative provisions will apply. However, taking into account that without the additional information the application cannot be processed further, customs must set a reasonable deadline for receiving the relevant information and inform the applicant [Article 12, paragraph 2, second subparagraph, of the CAU AE].
  • Customs authorities must always inform the applicant of the acceptance of the application and the date of acceptance; They will also inform you in the event of non-acceptance of the application, stating the reasons for this (Article 22, section 2, second paragraph, of the CAU).
  • In the case of applications received from multinational enterprises and with regard to the decision on admission or refusal, see also Part 3, Section I, "Determining the Member State to which the application for AEO status should be lodged", of these Guidelines.

It is strongly recommended that, as soon as the applicant receives notification that their application has been accepted by Customs, they make every effort to expedite the overall process. In particular, it is highly recommended that you review the following points throughout the application process:

  • Consolidation of information and evidence from the various units or departments involved in the AEO status application process.
  • Contribution of information: It is important that the responsible units are aware of their specific responsibilities regarding the AEO process and general requirements and are ready to provide the necessary information.
  • Tracing: The company must take action to correct any weaknesses discovered during the completion of the CAE and mitigate the associated risks, and customs must be informed of any non-compliance. It is also recommended that customs be informed of any actions being taken.
  • Customs consultation: Clarification of any questions the company may have regarding customs, in order to save time and money.