Albanian Customs at the Athens conference - Economic integration goes through customs cooperation
The Director General of Customs, Besmir Beja, participated in the Third Conference of Directors General of Customs of the Western Balkans and European Union Member States, held in Athens, where the focus was on strengthening customs cooperation and advancing regional economic integration with the European Single Market.
The conference on the topic "Connecting Markets, Harmonizing Standards: Green Lanes as a pillar of enhanced integration into the EU Single Market" brought together heads of customs administrations of CEFTA countries and EU member states, representatives of the European Commission, the business community and international organizations.
During the panel dedicated to the strategic role of customs administrations in the European integration process, Beja presented Albania's experience in modernizing customs procedures, facilitating trade, and strengthening regional cooperation.
He emphasized that customs cooperation is no longer just an instrument for facilitating trade exchanges, but an important mechanism for economic integration and bringing the countries of the region closer to European Union standards.
According to Beja, the modernization of customs processes, the exchange of information and coordination between administrations remain essential elements for creating faster, safer and more predictable trade.
In the discussions, special attention was paid to expanding the concept of Green Lanes, strengthening the interoperability of customs systems, and developing digital tools aimed at accelerating border procedures and reducing trade barriers.
Beja praised the Green Lanes initiative as a concrete step towards the gradual integration of the Western Balkan countries into the European Single Market, facilitating the circulation of goods and increasing the efficiency of trade exchanges.
Participants also discussed coordinated risk management, Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programs, as well as alignment with the new reform of the European Union Customs Code.
The SEED+ platform, which enables the electronic exchange of data between customs administrations, is also expected to play an important role in these processes, increasing transparency and improving regional cooperation.
At the end of the conference, participants reaffirmed their commitment to advancing digitalization, interoperability of customs systems, and the further implementation of Green and Blue Lanes, as instruments that support economic integration and rapprochement with the European Union.
The Athens conference followed the second edition held in Tirana in June 2025, where heads of customs administrations from the region and the EU discussed common priorities in the customs field and the European integration process.
Over 1,100 complaints reviewed in 2025 - KPP generates 672 million lek savings for the state
The Public Procurement Commission (PPC) has contributed to saving over 672 million lek for the state budget during 2025, while continuing to improve......
Freight transport enters the digital age - Albania aligns legislation with EU standards
The Committee on Legal Affairs and Public Administration reviewed the draft law "On electronic information on the transport of goods", an initiative that......
Adriatic-Ionian Euroregion, 20 years of cooperation between the countries of the region - Begaj: Regional cooperation, a key factor for European stability and development
The President of the Republic, Bajram Begaj, participated in the event organized on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the......
Facebook "conquers" the Albanian internet/ The platform brings over 96% of traffic from social networks to websites
Social networks continue to play an important role in how Albanians obtain information and navigate websites. DataReport data for 2025 shows that Facebook is......
BoA Report: More focus on domestic production - “Complex and challenging external economic and financial environment”
Increasing attention to expanding domestic production and caring for human resources are the two long-term challenges for the Albanian economy. This......
Quality of energy supply - Fewer interruptions, ERE approves new standards until 2028
The Energy Regulatory Authority has approved several amendments to the regulation that defines the standard criteria for the quality of service and security......
"Healthcare in the home, without dedicated funding" - Experts: Service funding is affordable, prioritization is lacking
Thousands of chronically ill patients, the elderly and people with mobility disabilities depend on Home Health Care every day. However, according to the......
Working abroad brings 192 million euros to Albania / Together with remittances, they financed the economy with 466 million euros at the beginning of the year
The income that the Albanian economy benefits from the work of citizens abroad continued to grow at a rapid pace during the first quarter of 2026. According......
