Ukraine has already fulfilled 91% of its customs obligations under the Association Agreement with the European Union, and Ukrainian customs legislation is now 80% aligned with EU standards.
This was reported by the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine following the ninth meeting of the Subcommittee on Customs Cooperation between Ukraine and the European Union.
The event was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Finance, the State Customs Service, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Government Office for the Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, and the Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union of the European Commission.
“The European Union is, first and foremost, a customs union. For Ukraine, customs integration is one of the key areas of alignment with the EU. We have already fulfilled 91% of the customs obligations stipulated by the Association Agreement and continue moving toward full technological compatibility with the European customs system,” said Deputy Head of the State Customs Service, Vladyslav Suvorov.
During the meeting, the parties noted progress in implementing the NCTS system, which facilitates the transit of goods between Ukraine and EU member states, as well as the development of electronic customs data exchange with EU countries.
“According to our European partners, Ukrainian customs legislation already aligns with EU customs law by 80%. Our partners recognize significant progress, which is the joint result of the work of government institutions and the business community,” emphasized Oleksandr Moskalenko, Director of the Customs Policy Department at the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine.
The meeting also highlighted the effective customs data exchange between Ukraine and Lithuania, despite the absence of a shared border.
In addition, the sides discussed a joint operation to combat the illegal circulation of counterfeit pesticides, carried out in close coordination with the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).
The parties agreed to hold a technical meeting in the near future to develop systemic solutions for implementing a mechanism for the exchange of advance customs information between Ukraine and EU member states.
