The heads of the Russian and Estonian customs authorities announced on Tuesday the establishment of a pilot project to test a simplified, expedited border crossing procedure for a list of trusted cargo companies.
"The [Estonian] Tax and Customs Board's goal is to work with our Russian colleagues to contribute to more rapid movement of goods across the border. In order to assist companies with goods logistics, we need to have good personal and professional contacts with our colleagues in Russia as well as exchange information about risks and find solutions for law-abiding companies," the organization's director, Marek Helm, said in a statement.
Use of fast-track customs schemes for Authorized Economic Operators (AEOs) is a growing trend among customs administrations worldwide.
The Russian-Estonian pilot project, being carried out at the Koidula-Kunitshina Gora border point, will involve only one company in its trial phase, Estonian Tax and Customs Board press representative Kaia-Liisa Kallas told ERR News.
There are currently 15 companies on the AEO list. If eventually implemented, the scheme is expected to improve crossing speed for all traffic, not just for those on the AEO list, she said.
The project will go until the beginning of 2014 and was given its impetus in early spring when a joint report by the two countries' audit offices signaled that their respective customs authorities should find ways to solve delays at their common land border, the board's statement said.
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