This morning, Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos witnessed the signature of three bilateral operational agreements strengthening custom cooperation between the customs administrations of Albania, Moldova, and North Macedonia with Greece, Bulgaria and Italy. The memoranda, which form part of the EU Moldova Growth Plan and the EU–Western Balkans Green Lanes initiative, led by the Transport Community and Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA), aim at reducing waiting times at border crossings and facilitating the movement of goods.

The three new agreements build on existing bilateral memoranda already in place at other borders between partners in the region. The provisions on customs data exchange between EU and non-EU countries can only be put in place when the necessary EU legal framework is established and the EU Customs Reform will be in place.

In parallel, the EU has also made available €54 million to invest in 11 priority border crossing points ensuring smoother transit of goods. This is a concrete step in the gradual integration of Western Balkans partners into the EU’s single market, as foreseen in the EU’s Growth Plan for the Western Balkans adopted in 2023.