NEW CUSTOMS CODE WILL ALLOW MOLDOVA TO MEET EU STANDARDS – EUBAM HEAD

A new customs code will allow harmonizing Moldovan legislation with high European Union standards, maintains Head of the European Union Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine (EUBAM) Slawomir Pichor.

At the Wednesday’s public hearings on the corresponding draft law, he said that representatives of the mission together with the Ministry of Defense and the Moldovan Customs Service endeavored best efforts to develop a code that would meet EU standards.

Minister of Finance state secretary Veronica Vragaleva said that this is a comprehensive document that facilitates the conducting of customs procedures both for state bodies and for business representatives, which will help to considerably improve Moldova’s business climate.

Head of the Customs Service Vitalie Vrabie said that the functioning of the new code will allow bringing the republic closer to the EU, while the considerable simplification of procedures is first of all directed to creation of comfortable conditions for economic agents.

EU High-Level Advisor Rosario de Blasio stressed that these changes represent a huge step for modernizing Moldova’s customs service.

The draft Customs Code includes 11 divisions, among which: general provisions; application of import or export duties; customs liability and guarantees; goods, brought in the customs territory; customs status norms, placement of goods in customs regime, permit for their exporting; exemption from import duties; special regimes; specific forms of customs control; customs violations and responsibility for their breaking; procedure of executing decisions on customs violation; transition provisions.