4.I.1. Information procedure

In accordance with Article 30(1) of the CAU EA, the EAA shall provide the information to the customs authorities of the other Member State without delay and at the latest within seven days from the date of acceptance of the request. This way, other Member States will be aware that a specific application has been accepted and will be able to react if they have relevant information relating to the applicant in question, or if ESA has asked them to take a specific action (consultation procedure).

For this purpose, the electronic system "SOE", defined in article 30 of the AE CAU, must be used. Member States are encouraged to regularly check the system for applications they may be interested in. It is recommended to check the system at least once a week.

It is also important for each customs authority to consult the SOE to verify whether or not there is relevant information that should be sent to the AEE. All relevant information about the applicant that relates to meeting the criteria for granting AEO status will be communicated to the AAE so that it can make the appropriate decision based on all available verified information. Article 31(4) of the CAU EA grants Member States a maximum period of thirty days from the date of communication of the request through the SOE system to provide this information to the EAA. Timely exchanges of information can save Member States valuable time and resources.

The aforementioned information is usually provided before the authorization is issued, although the procedure is available to exchange information at any time, even after such issuance. If a Member State has new information, it should submit it to the EEA as soon as possible, as it could impact the conditions that the EOA must meet. This is possible because Article 35 of the AE CAU stipulates that customs authorities (the AAE and others) must oversee compliance with the conditions and criteria. If the information submitted appears to be relevant and significant, this may lead to the AEE initiating a re-evaluation process in accordance with Article 15(1) of the AD CAU.

The AAE must take into account the information received, either during the authorization phase or during the authorization monitoring.