The meeting of the heads of customs authorities of Ukraine, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Finland, and Sweden in Kyiv marked the beginning of long-term cooperation and support for Ukraine's customs service on its path to the EU. Key shared tasks include adapting Ukrainian legislation to EU standards, enhancing law enforcement functions of customs, and exchanging best practices.
Ukraine's customs service is focused on transforming its customs system and aligning it with European standards. A significant step in this direction was the meeting between the leadership of Ukraine’s State Customs Service and the heads of customs administrations from Scandinavian countries: Christian Lützen, Director-General of the Danish Customs Agency; Snorri Olsen, Commissioner of the Icelandic Tax and Customs Service; Øystein Børmer, Director-General of Norwegian Customs; Sami Raksit, Director-General of Finnish Customs; and Johan Norrman, Director-General of Swedish Customs.
The multilateral meeting, held on March 24, 2025, with the support of the EU Advisory Mission (EUAM), initiated a new phase in cooperation between Ukraine and Northern European countries in developing mutual administrative assistance among customs authorities and sharing pre-arrival information on goods and vehicles.
Serhiy Zvyahintsev, head of Ukraine’s State Customs Service, expressed gratitude to the Nordic countries for their leadership in supporting Ukraine’s EU aspirations. He presented the results of the service’s work during martial law and outlined its development plan, which includes institutional development, harmonization of legislation, digitalization of procedures, innovations in combating customs violations, active dialogue with business, and international cooperation.
“Most of our customs legislation is already aligned with European standards. By the end of the year, we plan to adopt an updated Customs Code that will meet the European model. This is an important step toward integrating Ukraine into the European customs space,” said Serhiy Zvyahintsev.
Sami Raksit, Director-General of Finnish Customs, emphasized the scale of the planned reforms and the readiness of the Nordic region to provide necessary support and share experiences in achieving these ambitious goals.
“You are not only balancing the negative impacts of the armed aggression but also finding ways to develop. This is truly an example to follow,” highlighted the head of Finnish Customs.
The Nordic representatives were particularly interested in how Ukrainian customs maintained stability and control during the early stages of the full-scale invasion and throughout the ongoing war and numerous attacks. Ukrainian colleagues shared their experience, emphasizing that strengthening cybersecurity remains a priority, as customs databases contain sensitive information, including military-related goods.
“We can assure you that Ukraine’s customs service responded to these challenges at a high level. From the EUAM’s side, we are ready to support Ukraine in joining the European Union and implementing best European practices,” noted Mikko Arturi Grenberg, Deputy Head of Operations at EUAM.
_1742837009.jpeg/k5hIS1q3BulzQJr2IPZbS3bGkqEly8RdALR1pNOk.jpg)
One of the key discussion points was granting Ukrainian customs the status of a law enforcement agency, which would enhance its ability to combat customs violations and economic crimes. The Nordic countries shared their experience in this regard, which could be beneficial for Ukraine’s European integration efforts.
The meeting also focused on international cooperation and information exchange. The Scandinavian countries have successful experience in combating smuggling and customs violations through effective collaboration between customs authorities and law enforcement. Ukraine is working on implementing similar tools, with a focus on risk analysis and developing mechanisms for the operational exchange of data on goods and vehicles.
Consultations are already underway between Ukraine’s State Customs Service and Finland’s Customs Service regarding the possibility of sharing pre-arrival customs information using the SEED+ platform (supported by the EU4Digital program). Ukraine hopes to confirm the Finnish side's readiness to implement a pilot project, with the potential for its extension across the Nordic region.
Following the meeting, both sides confirmed their readiness to deepen cooperation and jointly establish a contact center to promote collaboration between Ukraine and the Northern European countries. The Nordic experience of treating customs as a law enforcement agency will serve as an important reference for Ukraine. Strengthening international cooperation and adopting best practices will enhance the efficiency of customs control, strengthen trade security, and create a transparent and modern customs system that meets EU requirements.
