Greece Introduces Digital Overhaul to Speed Up Customs and Strengthen Controls

10:25 5/3/2025 - Πηγή: Dikaiologitika

By automating validity checks and managing import quantities in real time, the system significantly improves the speed and accuracy of customs procedures.

Greece has introduced a new digital system to modernize its customs processes, reducing bureaucracy and increasing efficiency in cross-border trade. The system enhances the interoperability of the ICISnet Customs Information System with the EU’s Single Platform for Pre-Customs Certificate Exchange (EU CSW-CERTEX). This upgrade aligns Greek customs with European Union regulations in key areas such as health, environmental protection, and product safety.

By automating validity checks and managing import quantities in real time, the system significantly improves the speed and accuracy of customs procedures. The exchange of information between customs and other regulatory authorities is now instantaneous, eliminating unnecessary paperwork and reducing delays. Previously, businesses had to manually submit and verify various documents, often leading to bottlenecks. Now, key documents such as permits and certificates are automatically retrieved, verified, and processed, ensuring smoother trade operations.

The introduction of this digital platform brings tangible benefits across different industries. A fruit importer bringing shipments from outside the EU, for example, previously had to submit a phytosanitary certificate in person, with authorities manually verifying its authenticity. This process often led to delays. With the new system, the certificate is automatically retrieved from an official database, verified, and transmitted to customs authorities without additional steps, allowing for faster clearance.

For companies importing industrial chemicals regulated under the EU’s REACH framework, compliance used to be a complex process, requiring separate document submissions and lengthy verification times. Now, the system automatically cross-checks approvals and updates customs databases in real time, ensuring immediate compliance and eliminating delays. Pharmaceutical companies that import medicines under strict quantity restrictions also benefit from the automated verification process, which confirms compliance with import limits instantly, reducing wait times and expediting market distribution.

Even the recycling industry is seeing improvements. Companies that import plastic waste for processing in the EU previously had to submit waste movement permits manually, often dealing with separate bureaucratic systems. The new digital integration retrieves and verifies permits automatically, speeding up the release of shipments and facilitating operations for recycling businesses.

#ENGLISH_EDITION #GREECE
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