CEFTA

CEFTA 2006

The CEFTA Parties should be mindful of the following obligations set out in the Additional Protocol 5 to the Agreement on Amendment of and Accession to the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA), relevant to import and export procedures:

  • Article 7.2 on the “Publication of Fees and Charges Imposed on or in Connection with Importation and Exportation and Penalties”, which states that: 7.2. Information on fees and charges shall be made electronically available by the competent authorities of each CEFTA Party, and shall be published in accordance with Article 1 of the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation. This information shall include the fees and charges that will be applied, the reason for such fees and charges, the responsible authority, and when and how payment is to be made”; 
  • Article 8.3 on the “Formalities Connected with Importation, Exportation and Transit”, which states that: 8.3. Each CEFTA Party shall, where appropriate, endeavour to accept paper or electronic copies of supporting documents required for import, export, or transit formalities by customs authorities and other competent authorities”. 
  • Article 9 on the “Common Border Procedures and Uniform Documentation Requirements”, which statesthat: 9.1. Each CEFTA Party shall, subject to Paragraph 9.2, apply common customs procedures and uniform documentation requirements for the release and clearance of goods throughout its territory. Nothing in Paragraph 9.2 shall be implemented to constitute an arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or a disguised restriction between CEFTA Parties where the same conditions prevail.  9.2. Nothing in this Article shall prevent a CEFTA Party from:  
    • (a) differentiating its procedures and documentation requirements based on the nature and type of goods, or their means of transport;  
    • (b) differentiating its procedures and documentation requirements for goods based on risk management;  
    • (c) differentiating its procedures and documentation requirements in order to provide total or partial exemption from import duties or taxes;  
    • (d) applying electronic filing or processing; or 
    • (e) differentiating its procedures and documentation requirements in a manner consistent with the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures”.