Guidelines for Certification

Guidelines for certification is the tool we want you to use when you quality assure your procedures for the management of customs related matters and security and safety measures, prior to an AEO certification.

The Guidelines are divided into chapters. Each chapter starts with an account of the aim and purpose of the chapter, where we explain why we consider it relevant to study information within this area. After that follow the basic criteria for the chapter. These are basic principles relevant for the whole chapter. The criteria often lay down that your business ‘shall´ do something, but some of them may rather state that something is desirable.

For each numbered sub-chapter you should then identify what procedures you have in place within the area in question. The procedures should be produced in a way that fits your business activities and your needs, but we require a certain level of information. To ensure this level, you can under each subheading find a number of points for attention that should be covered in your documented procedures. If any of these points of attention is not relevant for your specific situation, you can leave that point out of consideration.

The guidelines can be tailored according to what type of certificate you apply for and your business´ role(s) in the supply chain.

What requirements we impose on your business in connection with the quality assurance depend on your role(s) in the supply chain. It is essential that you thoroughly think through what certificate you apply for and what your role(s) in the supply chain are. Please remember that you might have more than one role in the supply chain.

Certificate

The first step when you adapt the guidelines to your situation is to select what type of certificate you want to apply for:

Customs simplifications — your procedures for the management of customs matters, information and your flows of goods should all be quality assured. As a holder of this certificate you get a smoother handling of customs matters.

Security and safety — your procedures for the management of information, your flows of goods, your staff, area protection and perimeter protection should all be quality assured. The aim is to enhance the security in the supply chain.

Customs simplifications/Security and safety — your procedures for the management of customs matters, flows of information and goods, staff, area protection and perimeter protection should all be quality assured. This will give you a smoother handling of customs matters and enhance the security in the supply chain.

Actors in the supply chain

Next step is to identify your business´ role(s) in the supply chain, that is, which actor you are. Most businesses have more than one role in the supply chain, and should select more than one actor. Please click on Actors in the supply chain to learn more about the different actors.

Documented procedures

The AEO certification is a process where you show us that you have good procedures in place to handle your customs related activities and your security and safety management. The procedures shall be well documented either electronically or on paper, well known within the organisation, available to all users and regularly updated.

Versioning of the documented procedure

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To ensure that you always use the latest version of the documented procedures, there should be guidelines in place for the versioning of them.

When a procedure has been documented, the following information should always be included at the top of the document;

The version of the procedure, for example "Version1"
The date when it was established
Name of the person who decided that the procedure should be used.

When the procedure is updated, you follow the same concept: ‘Version1.1´etc. in consecutive order, date of decision and decision-maker. To make it possible to follow the development of the procedures, you should also briefly describe what has been changed since the last version.
If the procedure needs to be rewritten rather than updated, you indicate this by numbering it ‘Version2´ , followed by date of decision and decision-maker.

Documentation and updating of procedures

We do not have any demands stating what person should document or update your procedures. What is important is that the criteria and the principles in the guidelines are fulfilled and that your procedures are documented in some way, either electronically or on paper. This method makes it possible for you to employ a third party to perform the quality assurance.

We are currently not imposing any demands on the third party; instead, your business is solely responsible for the documentation during our audit.

Application for AEO certificate

Services

Guidelines for certification

Authorised Economic Operator; first page