ACTUAL ISSUES OF THE APPLICATION OF THE WCO LEGAL MEANS WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE FUNCTIONING OF ITS WORKING BODIES

Sergei Mozer

РУССКИЙ

On March 24, 2021, a scientific and practical event was held at the Russian Customs Academy – the IV session of the Moscow International Model of the World Customs Organization, which gathered more than 50 participants from various countries. The event was held in the videoconference mode. The organizer – the Customs Faculty of the Academy.

The event was attended by representatives of the Eurasian Economic Commission, the Secretariat of the International Network of Customs Universities, the Regional Office for Capacity Building of the WCO in European Region, the Customs University of the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality of the University of St. Kliment of Ohrid, the UN Center for Trade Facilitation, e-business and cross-border trade, Higher School of Economics, Indian Institute of Infrastructure.

The main topics proposed for discussion are the development of new ideas and technologies, the exchange of experience in order to improve cooperation and partnerships between the customs administrations of the World Customs Organization (hereinafter – the WCO, the Organization) Member States, the private sector, international organizations and academia. The speakers were leading experts in these areas.

This scientific and practical event was attended by Sergei Mozer, Deputy Head of the Advanced Customs Technologies Division of the Department of Customs Legislation of the Eurasian Economic Commission (hereinafter – the Commission, EEC), Ph.D. in law, as well as Dinara Sekerbaeva, Head of the same Division.

Sergei Mozer made a presentation on the topic «Actual issues of the application of legal instruments and tools of the World Customs Organization within the framework of the functioning of its working bodies: state and prospects». As part of his speech, he revealed the practical aspects of cooperation between the Commission and the WCO. Particular attention was paid to the work carried out in Brussels over the past 2.5 years to revise the International Convention on the Simplification and Harmonization of Customs Procedures of May 18, 1973, as well as the role of the WCO Secretariat, customs administrations, interested parties and the Eurasian Economic Commission in this process.

The representative of the Commission drew attention to the fact that on December 11, 2020, the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council adopted «Strategic directions for the development of Eurasian economic integration until 2025». The Strategy defines the place of cooperation with the World Customs Organization. In particular, one of the points of this act provides for the study of the possibility of joining the Eurasian Economic Union (hereinafter – the EEU, the Union) to the WCO fundamental legal means. According to the speaker, the implementation of this paragraph requires, first of all, a preliminary comprehensive analysis of the WCO legal instruments and tools, which can be used to improve customs regulation.

During his speech, Sergei Mozer noted that he had developed a methodology for the systematization and subsequent analysis of the WCO legal means, created for the period 1952-2021, as well as a corresponding software solution. The participants of the conference were shown the created electronic database of all WCO legal instruments and tools. The results of the study and classification of all legal means were published in the Guidelines «Legal Instruments and Tools of the World Customs Organization» in March 2021 at the WCO Regional Training Center, which is the Russian Customs Academy.

Dinara Sekerbayeva

In turn, Dinara Sekerbaeva made a report «Topical issues of digitalization of the activities of customs authorities in the Eurasian Economic Union Member States». She dwelled on the activities of the customs block of the Commission in terms of the formation of legal, technological and technical aspects of creating a digital customs institute in the EEU Member States, as well as the work carried out by the Commission to create a «single window» mechanism in the Union Member States. Along with this, the representative of the Commission focused on the «Strategy for the Activities of the EEC Block on Customs Cooperation until 2025» in terms of creating a new operating model of customs, based on the principles of data, process and change management – invisible, fast, flexible, efficient for the state and convenient for business. In her opinion, in the modern conditions of Eurasian integration, it is relevant the issue of maximum assistance to foreign trade activities based on improving the efficiency of customs administration and ensuring uniform law enforcement practice and economic security. Dinara Sekerbaeva also dwelled on advanced customs technologies that need to be developed in the context of creating an environment for a new operating model of customs.

The reports presented at the scientific and practical event aroused the interest of students and participants in the scientific and practical event. Cooperation between the Russian Customs Academy and the Commission will be continued.

Russian Customs Academy: SCIENCE

26/03/2021