Adress by the Vice-Chair

Dear members of the European Region

It is a great honour for Norway to be elected as Vice-Chair for the European Region and I thank you sincerely for your confidence.  We look forward to carrying on the good work of Mr. Mourtidis and the Greek Vice-Chair Team, who have demonstrated great leadership through challenging times. 

The world in which customs operate is rapidly changing and therefore it is crucial that our region has a constructive and hands-on approach regarding the issues on the WCO agenda. The organisation is set out to change significantly in the near future, and our region will later benefit if we are able to give our clear views and priorities on this through thorough processes. 

I would like to thank ROCB Europe for its unwavering commitment and tireless efforts in advancing customs capacity building in the WCO Europe Region. The ROCB is a cornerstone of WCO’s regional dimension. It brings customs administrations together to work towards a common goal—a future of secure and prosperous international trade, simplified customs processes, and thriving cross-border customs cooperation. I feel privileged to have the opportunity to contribute, as Vice-Chair, to furthering the important work agenda of ROCB Europe.

The future of the organisation relies heavily on the outcome of the discussions regarding the Modernization Plan and WCO’s Strategic Plan for 2025-2028.  Capacity building is a key element in WCO’s mission and will continue to be so regardless of what direction WCO takes in the future. What shape and form the WCO will take, and how it will impact the capacity building work, are yet to be decided. Nevertheless, the ROCB will be instrumental in carrying out and implementing the actual results of the ongoing discussions and work taking place.

I believe together we will achieve fruitful cooperation and good processes for our region, and in this also contribute to WCO’s overall strategic priorities. 

Mr. Øystein Børmer

Vice-Chair of the WCO Europe Region