Official kick-off of Schiphol SmartGate Cargo

On 2 December, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Air Cargo Netherlands and the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration signed the Schiphol SmartGate Cargo action plan. Schiphol SmartGate Cargo involves the integrated monitoring of goods leaving the EU from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, enabling rapid and efficient clearance.

The Schiphol Smartgate Cargo concept is one of the first international public-private collaborations to involve intensive and innovative forms of cooperation between the government agencies responsible for enforcing border crossing legislation and the private sector. The Schiphol Smartgate Cargo concept will thus help improve Schiphol’s competitive position.

A number of developments have already taken place. For example, the Customs Control Centre, a central helpdesk for Customs Services customers, was recently set up. On 21 September the Cargo Checkpoint pilot project was launched, in which various monitoring and inspection processes are clustered into a single monitoring procedure. Schiphol Smartgate Cargo includes the ‘Information Broker’, a system developed by Cargonaut that allows both the aviation sector and government bodies to determine whether a shipment will require prior inspection at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, based on electronic pre-departure and pre-arrival information. Over the coming months tendering procedures will be carried out for new equipment, pilot projects will be evaluated and concepts will be developed further. For more information on Schiphol SmartGate Cargo, visit www.schiphol-smartgate.nl.