Bilateral cooperation between the Italian Southern region and the Western Balkans in the Customs Area – 2006-2013

The overall objective of the bilateral cooperation project is to develop the economic relationships between the Italian Southern regions’ and the Balkan Countries, and specifically increase the legal trades between the two areas, as well as the structural and regulative infrastructures behind the legal trades.

In order to achieve these objectives, the following activities are implemented:

• performing a survey to assess the functioning of procedures related to the transit of goods along the three borders concerned, as well as the technical and technological/IT structures operative at the respective Customs Offices of the three Countries;
• on the basis of such a survey, propose concrete measures so as to enable local Customs authorities to streamline the transit of goods;
• provide technical assistance to the Customs Authorities of Albania, Macedonia and Bulgaria in order to reduce the slow-down of Customs clearance operations as well as the increase in transport costs from/to the Mezzogiorno Area;
• promote regional cooperation and exchange of information on best practices and tools concerning the main dimensions of the legal trade. This has been made also via the “Venice Iniative forum” : a specific initiative which include the establishment of thematic working groups on fight against counterfeiting and safety of product, IPR, exchange of pre-arrival information, fight against illegal trade, trade agreements and standards, etc. The international working groups meet each 2-3 months and refer to the high level forum (once or twice a year) where the Directors and top level management of all the main involved administrations seat together.

Eutalia supported the Italian Customs administration and the Department for Social Cohesion at the Italian Ministry of Economic Development in drafting the Project proposal, the work plan and budget and, during the implementation, was responsible for administrative and logistics support, including during training and visibility events, as well as contractual, administrative and financial management.