AADC: Central clearance of exports for AEO

The Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADC) activated the Central Clearance mechanism for exports by Authorised Economic Operators (AEO), according to a report by TA NEA published on 8 September 2026 at 18:34 and related to the Ministry of National Economy. With this activation, Greece becomes the 11th EU member state to implement this specific mechanism, joining a group of countries including Austria, Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia and Slovakia, which have already proceeded with the same arrangement for their own export enterprises.

Central Clearance, as described in the report, allows an authorised exporter to file the customs declaration at the customs office where they are established, while the goods themselves are presented physically at a different customs office, wherever they are located or from where they will exit the country. Practically, this means that a business no longer needs to process the administrative part of export at the same place where its products are stored or loaded, but can concentrate its customs transactions at a single reference point, regardless of where its shipping facilities or points of exit for goods from the country to other markets are geographically located.

The status of an Authorised Economic Operator constitutes an EU certification awarded to enterprises deemed reliable in complying with customs law, their financial soundness and control systems they apply, and provides those who hold it with simplified customs procedures at EU level, which comprises a total of 27 member states. Central Clearance is considered one of the practical applications of these simplifications, as it reduces the bureaucratic fragmentation that arises when a business operates export activities from more than one location in the territory. The report does not mention specific savings amounts, processing times or the number of businesses expected to be included in the mechanism, information that would have allowed a clearer assessment of the practical result of the measure on the daily operation of export enterprises.

Beyond the absence of information on cost and time, the report does not clarify exactly when this option takes effect for Greek businesses nor which categories of products are expected to benefit most. It is also not mentioned whether a gradual expansion of the mechanism to imports is planned, beyond the exports covered by the current activation, nor whether the AADC plans informational actions towards businesses that already hold AEO status. The move is part of a broader trend of simplifying customs procedures in the European Union, aimed at facilitating cross-border trade for businesses that meet strict criteria of reliability and transparency. The question remains open of how many Greek businesses with Authorised Economic Operator status will immediately take advantage of the new opportunity provided by the AADC in their export activities.