Digitalisation and simplification of customs processes at Greek Customs

The European Commission provided technical support to the Greek Directorate-General of Customs and Excise Duties with the aim of helping Greek Customs simplify, optimise and digitalise the national customs processes and procedures.

Context

Greece has deployed an Integrated Customs Information System that provides digitalisation for a significant part of customs procedures and an electronic environment for customs operations. In addition to the digital transformation reforms mandated by the Union Customs Code, a crucial step is to simplify and digitalise the paper-based procedures at national level as the outdated regulatory framework and cumbersome processes cause an administrative burden both for the Customs Service and the business community. Thus, the project is in line with the spirit of a modern, paperless and fully automated Customs Union.

Support delivered

At the end of the 17-month project, the beneficiary has at its disposal:

• A report on digitalisation and simplification of the customs IT systems and national customs processes;
• Recommendations for technical specifications of functional and non-functional requirements;
• Training material for digitalised processes and procedure reengineering and management;
• An action plan, roadmap and implementation plan for the proposed changes.

Competent staff was trained in the project’s methodology as part of the beneficiary’s capacity building strategy.

Results achieved

The technical support aided Greek Customs in setting out a path for better services through the digitalisation and simplification of national customs processes and procedures. The project has in effect provided models for the digitalisation of 29 currently paper-based national procedures. It also provided the necessary business requirements and technical specifications for the IT systems with an action plan that will implement the new procedures. The planned actions are included in broader IT system development programmes with approved budgets. With the implementation of these programmes, the Greek authority could achieve its goals for full procedure digitalisation in the next few years.

More about the project

You can read the final report here:

• General publications
• 29 September 2023

Digitalisation and simplification of customs processes at Greek Customs