At the first CEFTA on-line ad-hoc meeting on Regional measures for free movement of goods amid Covid-19 crisis the representatives of CEFTA Parties recommended opening green priority lanes for trade in essential products. The main purpose of these lanes is to enable efficient supply of priority goods such as food and medicine.
Border agencies, such as customs administrations, will be informed electronically in advance of arrival of trucks transporting the essential goods, through the CEFTA System on Electronic Exchange of Data (SEED). This will enable timely and efficient clearance procedures.
Furthermore, the Parties agreed to establish CEFTA Coordination Bodytoaddress all trade related measures imposed to fight outbreak of COVID-19. This Body will seek the ways of application of these measures to minimise negative impact on trade and thusly support supply of goods to the citizens and economic activity of businesses.
In order to enable good coordination of activities on regional level, CEFTA Secretariat and the Permanent Secretariat of the Transport Community will propose joint set of actions aimed at facilitation of trade and transport.
The meeting gathered the Directors of the Customs Administration and representatives of the Ministries of Trade of CEFTA Parties, the CEFTA Secretariat, Regional Cooperation Council, the Permanent Secretariat of the Transport Community and the European Commission.