Strengthening Risk-Based Customs Controls: EUAM Supports State Customs Service Study Visit to Norway
June 10, 2026
As part of its continued support to strengthen Ukraine’s customs capabilities and enhance border security, EUAM Ukraine facilitated a study visit to Norway for representatives of the State Customs Service of Ukraine (SCS). The visit focused on advancing risk analysis and risk-based approaches to customs operations, while fostering closer cooperation between Ukrainian and Norwegian customs professionals.
The visit brought together specialists from the SCS, EUAM Ukraine and Norwegian Customs to exchange expertise and explore practical methods for identifying high-risk consignments, detecting suspicious patterns in cross-border movements, and countering illicit trafficking. Particular attention was paid to enhancing the capacity of customs authorities to prevent the smuggling of weapons, ammunition, explosives and narcotic substances.
Through a series of workshops and practical sessions, participants examined how advanced risk assessment tools and methodologies can support more targeted controls and more efficient use of resources at the border. The discussions also highlighted the importance of international cooperation in addressing increasingly sophisticated and transnational criminal threats.
“Effective risk analysis is the cornerstone of modern customs work,” said Juergen Illig, Head of EUAM Ukraine’s Integrated Border Management Component. “By applying robust risk-based methodologies and advanced assessment tools, customs authorities can proactively identify high-risk consignments, focus limited resources where they matter most, and significantly reduce the flow of illegal weapons, explosives, ammunition and narcotic substances across borders. Continued close cooperation and institutional capacity building are essential to keep pace with evolving cross-border criminal threats. Organised crime has a strong transnational dimension.”
The visit also laid the groundwork for continued cooperation between Ukrainian and Norwegian counterparts. Norwegian Customs announced plans for a follow-up visit to Ukraine in October 2026, which will focus on advanced risk assessment methodologies, joint case studies and practical exercises aimed at further strengthening the analytical capabilities of SCS personnel.
The initiative is expected to enhance the ability of Ukrainian customs officers to apply modern risk assessment tools, improve the detection of high-risk consignments, and identify suspicious patterns in cross-border movements, contributing to stronger border security and more effective prevention of cross-border crime.
