About the AEO Association

The Regional AEO Association was established in October 2021 and launched in December 2021 to support Authorized Economic Operators across South-East Europe.

We bring together AEOs and AEO champions to discuss and advance AEO programmes in the region, providing the most effective platform for public-private partnership on AEO matters.

The Regional AEO Association was established in October 2021 and launched in December 2021.

  • Our mission is to support with the operational realization of AEO Programmes’ benefits and progress in the region for our members, at both national and regional levels

  • Our strategic objective is to contribute to the regional economic competitiveness and trade facilitation agenda in the CEFTA region.

  • Our specific objectives are to:
    • Facilitate the cooperation and dialogue between the authorized economic operators in the region to discuss the state of AEO Programmes in the region from a private sector perspective and to find innovative solutions to identified challenges/solutions
    • Foster the cooperation between AEOs and Customs at regional level as well as with other governmental agencies
    • Conduct and coordinate benchmarking, research and innovation efforts in the area of AEO and trade facilitation
    • Represent the Members and their interests related to the AEO Programmes at national and regional levels
    • Formulate evidence-based and research-based position papers and policy recommendations to governments and regional bodies to advance the AEO Programmes at national and regional levels
    • Provide training and advisory support to AEOs and AEO applicants
    • Promote the concept of the AEO Programmes throughout the region. 

  • Our values are :

Collaboration

Working together across borders to achieve common goals and foster regional integration

Equality

Ensuring fair treatment and equal opportunities for all members and stakeholders

Transparency

Operating with openness and clarity in all our activities and decision-making processes

Our Structure:

  • Our association is headed by an elected President and managed by a General Manager. The administrative and technical tasks of the association are undertaken by the Board.

Our membership:
Membership to the Regional AEO Association is voluntary and is open to:

  • Any AEOs in the CEFTA region
  • Any economic operator that supports the AEO programme and is considering applying to the AEO programme in the region

Each Member must appoint a representative and an alternate representative to the AEO Association. Both representatives must have decision-making authority, whereby they can vote on behalf of their organization.

President​

Mr. Çeli has been working in the Albanian Customs Administration from year 1992 to 2016, holding various positions from field customs officer to leading roles mainly related to the technical aspects of customs such as customs tariff, value, origin, procedures, statistics. He also held the position of Deputy General Director of Customs for customs technical aspects.
Mr. Çeli has represented customs in the negotiation for the Free Trade Agreements that Albania has concluded with other countries as well as for the SAA with the EU, and has been one of the drafters of several important customs laws such as the Customs Code, the Excise Law, etc.
In the years 2016 – 2019, he worked as the director of FDI (foreign direct investment directorate) at AIDA (Albanian  Investment Development Agency). 
From year 2020 he is working as a independent consultant in the field of customs, trade and investments, involved in several projects such as: Single Window (World Bank Project), Removal of non-tariff barriers in the region (PRINC Project funded by USAID), AEO (Authorised Economic Operators project (financed by GIZ) and also assists and delivers training to various companies in customs and trade matters.

General Manager

Ms. Aida Nani brings over 25 years of experience in managing complex infrastructure projects, G2B and B2B engagements, and international relations. Her extensive background includes work in the energy, financial, food & agri sectors across Southeast Europe, the Western Balkans, and Southeast Asia.

Aida has an unrivalled knowledge of global supply chain mechanisms, trade regulations, operational management, international standards, compliance, and project finance. She is committed to supporting regional economic integration and trade facilitation across South-East Europe.

The Board is currently operated through the Open Regional Fund for South – East Europe – Foreign Trade, which is supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) commissioned by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). It is composed of a team of international and regional experts.

Under the leadership of our General Manager, Ms. Aida Nani, the Board provides administrative support, coordinates activities, and implements the strategic initiatives of the Association.

Olgica Nakova

Gopet Trans

Betim Kryeziu

Golden Eagle

Goran Cerovina

NELT 

Jovan Mutavdžić

2B Logistics

Dragana Stajović

Neregelia

SUPPORT TO REGIONAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

This website is supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) commissioned by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to implement the Open Regional Fund for South – East Europe – Foreign Trade. The content of this website represents the opinions of the author(s) and is not necessarily representative of the position of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).