Lars Karlsson: CapacityNow

BBC News has written article about Trusted Trader concept and its potential role in a post-Brexit trade environment.

It is an interesting article and it does describe only one view on Trusted Trader and AEO, but it misses an important point. UK doesn’t have to use the same AEO programme as EU post-Brexit. In fact, UK shouldn’t. It should develop an own modern multitier Trusted Trader programme.

Having lead the work of inventing the Trusted Trader Concept, and the AEO Standard in the WCO Safe Framework, and being involved in the devlopment of the EU AEO and US C T-PAT models – and after that another plus 50 AEO and TTPs all around the world, I can say that this article only describes one view of TT and it also has several errors.

The EU AEO model is a legacy system that is 10 years old and it is only one of the approx. 80 programmes that are operational in the world for the moment. Modern Trusted Trader Programmes/AEO models are very different from the EU AEO, while still meeting the WCO Standard. The concept is in very fast development, bringing lower thresholds to get in, faster validation, considerbly more benefits, new ways of ensurimg compliance and low risk, more self-assessment, new KPIs and Performance Measurement models and multiagency and stakeholder reach embracing all border agencies/all supply chain stakeholders in single Government Trusted Trader concepts. This is already happening.

Nothing prevents UK from developing a new modern mulititier Trusted Trader programme (incl the present AEO).

Here is the link to the BBC article: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-45813901

Jacques Gounon, President of Getlink that operated the Eurotunnel, wrote an interesting article yesterday about the views of the company.

Negotiations between the European Union and the United Kingdom agitated commentators on both sides of the Channel.

For Eurotunnel, Brexit will be a matter of technologies and people: it will be an opportunity for us to gain competitiveness and efficiency for our customers. We were the first to let the various political actors know how important this vital link is and the challenge of a smooth border for jobs and economies – not just on the British side.

We set ourselves in motion to integrate the additional controls that will apply to the customs, veterinary and police authorities already present on our terminals. And that these controls are integrated in the customer journey in a “smart border”.

Border control remains the sole responsibility of States. Even if the negotiations in Brussels are crucial, these provisions will be covered by binational agreements. Whether we are in a Schengen / non Schengen configuration as currently, or tomorrow Schengen / third country (UK), the post-Brexit situation is not new for the public services concerned.

In fact, the French government is preparing to put in place, before 29 March 2019, the legal tool enabling it to take the measures that would be necessary in the event of a withdrawal agreement. The enabling bill presented on October 3 by Jean-Yves Le Drian and Nathalie Loiseau allows France to prepare effectively for the consequences of Brexit. In the same vein, Gerald Darmanin announced the creation of 700 additional customs posts to cope with any additional activity at Eurotunnel, ports and airports.

We have an accurate and realistic view of how we will start transformations as soon as the political vision is clarified. We have not waited to increase our hosting capacity and our customer service for two years. We are preparing for all contingencies to ensure continuity of service.

Eurotunnel is preparing with calm, method and determination to the new elements that will intervene in the management of the border between March 2019 and the year 2021 taking into account different scenarios.

Source: LinkeIn/Machine translation

I hurt myself today

To see if I still feel

I focus on the pain

The only thing that’s real

The needle tears a hole

The old familiar sting

Try to kill it all away

But I remember everything

What have I become

My sweetest friend

Everyone I know goes away

In the end

And you could have it all

My empire of dirt

I will let you down

I will make you hurt

I wear this crown of thorns

Upon my liar’s chair

Full of broken thoughts

I cannot repair

Beneath the stains of time

The feelings disappear

You are someone else

I am still right here

What have I become

My sweetest friend

Everyone I know goes away

In the end

And you could have it all

My empire of dirt

I will let you down

I will make you hurt

If I could start again

A million miles away

I would keep myself

I would find a way

It was the last song Johnny Cash ever sang. He died just days after the recording of ‘Hurt’. Have there ever been a more naked, scarred and true voice than when Johnny did this song. I am not sure. You can hear the pain. You can hear his life, in this song. Magic.

Watch one of the best videos ever here; Johnny Cash: Hurt