The Romanian Customs Authority (AVR), in coordination with the Ministry of Finance, has officially submitted Romania's candidacy to host the future Customs Authority of the European Union (EUCA), sending the message that this institution must be placed where operational needs, accelerated digitalisation and the realities of European borders directly meet, said the AVR representatives.

'The Romanian Customs Authority, in coordination with the Ministry of Finance, has officially submitted Romania's candidacy to host this new strategic structure, designed to become the European pillar in terms of risk analysis, operational coordination and governance of customs data. At a time when the Union needs a modern customs architecture, capable of protecting the internal market, managing growing trade volumes and responding quickly to the risks generated by global trade, Romania affirms its availability and capacity to support
these objectives. Our candidacy sends a clear message and is aligned with the EUCA (EU Customs Authority - editor's note) vision: the authority must be placed where operational needs, accelerated digitalisation and the realities of European borders directly meet. Romania is such a strategic point,' AVR representatives told AGERPRES.

They emphasised that Romania is one of the member states with the most extensive external border of the Union and manages a significant volume of trade flows annually.

'Millions of tonnes of goods enter Romania's customs points annually, by road, rail, sea and air, which transforms Romania into a critical operational node for the EU's economic security. This reality gives substance and relevance to our candidacy, and the experience we've gathered in border and trade management positions us as a mature partner, ready to contribute to the construction of the new European customs architecture,' the same source stated.

On the other hand, the representatives of the Customs Authority emphasised that, regarding Romania's trade priorities, they are part of the Union's strategic logic: strengthening the domestic market, increasing the resilience of supply chains, facilitating legitimate, predictable and digitalised trade, as well as combating fraud and under-declaration of the value of goods.

Regarding future trade opportunities and challenges for the EU, AVR representatives believe that the Union is facing a defining moment, with the increase in global trade volume, the intensification of e-commerce and the complexity of supply chains representing both opportunities and challenges.

'Romania is ready to actively participate in these transformations and to support the EU in creating a system capable of dynamically responding to economic and technological developments,' AVR representatives pointed out.

On October 16, the European Commission launched a call for applications for member states to express their interest in hosting the future EU Customs Authority (EUCA).

According to a press release of the Community Executive, the newly established body will support the customs authorities of the member states in simplifying customs procedures for businesses, ensuring the effective collection of taxes and duties for both the EU budget and national budgets and contributing to strengthening the protection of the single market against unsafe or illicit products. The call for applications is based on criteria agreed by the European Parliament and the Council. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Nicoleta Gherasi, EN - writing by: Cristina Zaharia)