China and the EU signed three agreements in an attempt to step up customs cooperation at the 7th Joint Customs Cooperation Committee (JCCC) meeting in Beijing on May 16, 2014.

The first is the China-EU Authorized Economic Operators Mutual Recognition Agreement. Under the agreement, the EU and China commit to recognizing each other's certified safe traders.

European Commissioner Algirdas Semeta said, “Everyone is a winner with this customs agreement”. He said that the agreement is fully in the spirit of trade facilitation and growth by making customs procedures easier, cheaper and faster for trusted operators and by improving China-EU business environment and accelerating trade. Semeta believed citizens will also benefit from greater protection as customs can focus more resources on where the real risks lie.

The second agreement is a new Strategic Framework for Customs Cooperation for the 2014-2017, which defines priorities and objectives for China-EU collaboration in this field. Key areas of focus for the coming years will be trade facilitation, supply chain security and fighting counterfeit and illicit trade. An important new priority is a joint approach to tackling illegal waste shipments, thereby tackling an area of high concern for both sides and supporting important environmental objectives.

Another agreement is the China-EU IPR Customs Enforcement Action Plan 2014-2017, which aims to improve the clamp-down on counterfeit goods by intensifying EU-China cooperation, communication and coordination in this field.

The JCCC meeting was co-chaired by minister of the General Administration of Customs Yu Guangzhou and the European Commissioner for Taxation, Customs, Statistics, Audit and Anti-Fraud Algirdas Semetain.

According to the European Commission, China is the EU's biggest source of imports and has also become one of the EU's fastest growing export markets. China and Europe now trade well over €1 billion a day.