National Customs Agency

As part of the ongoing efforts to modernize border crossing points and facilitate trade, today, 11 March 2026, the Director General of the National Customs Agency of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mr. Georgi Dimov, and the Director General of the Customs Administration of the Republic of Serbia, Mr. Dragiša Petrović, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on electronic data exchange through the SEED+ system. The agreement is part of the “Green Lanes” initiative between the European Union and the countries of the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA), coordinated by the CEFTA Secretariat and the Transport Community (TCT).

The signing ceremony, held in the presence of representatives of the CEFTA and Transport Community Secretariats, marks an important step toward strengthening operational cooperation between customs administrations and advancing CEFTA’s digital integration with the EU.

During the ceremony, Georgi Dimov, Director General of the National Customs Agency of the Republic of Bulgaria, emphasized the strategic importance of the agreement for transit between the Western Balkans and the EU:

“For Bulgaria, as an EU Member State, this Memorandum of Understanding is a powerful tool for more efficient management of the flow of goods. By introducing enhanced data exchange with Serbia, we not only accelerate transport but also strengthen the security of our border crossings through precise risk analysis.”

Dragiša Petrović, Acting Director General of the Customs Administration of the Republic of Serbia, emphasized numerous benefits that this form of cooperation with neighbouring customs administrations brings about: “Business community will be able to rely upon faster, more transparent and predictable movement of goods, while border agencies will be able to focus on effective controls that protect the safety of citizens and legal trade.”

During the signing ceremony, Pranvera Kastrati, Director of the CEFTA Secretariat, underlined the importance of continued cooperation within the framework of the “Green Lanes” initiative: “With every new signing, “Green Lanes” become stronger and more extensive. Today's agreement between Bulgaria and Serbia is a direct response to the needs of companies for greater speed and certainty. We are building a digital bridge that accelerates the path of our products to the EU Single Market.”

Through the SEED+ system, customs administrations will exchange advance electronic information on shipments, enabling improved risk analysis and facilitating the processing of goods before they arrive at the border crossing points. This contributes to faster procedures, shorter waiting times, and greater predictability for economic operators.

The Memorandum provides for the alignment of operational procedures between the customs administrations of Bulgaria and Serbia. Through structured data exchange via SEED+, the two administrations will improve control coordination, support risk‑based inspections, and facilitate smoother movement of goods.

The “Green Lanes” initiative is one of the key instruments supporting trade facilitation between the Western Balkans and the European Union. It combines modernization of border crossing points, digitalization of procedures, and enhanced cooperation between administrations to ensure faster, more transparent, and more predictable movement of goods.

In December 2025, the Director General of the National Customs Agency of the Republic of Bulgaria signed a similar memorandum with the Customs Administration of the Republic of North Macedonia.

The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Republic of Serbia is part of the meetings held in Bulgaria on 10–11 March 2026: a Green Lanes Steering Committee Meeting, the 21st Technical committee on transport facilitation of the Transport Community, and an operational meeting related to the implementation of the SEED+ system.