Established as a mean of assuring security in international trade, and in response to the creation of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) in the United States, AEO Certification, first proposed by the EU in 2005, went into effect on January 1st 2008. The purpose of the AEO initiative is to enhance EU customs authorities' and certified businesses' joint reponsonsibilities for safe and secure cross-border transactions.APM Terminals Zeebrugge has been certified in both Safety and Security and Customs Simplification.APM Terminals’ customers using the Zeebrugge facility will be able to take advantage of AEO status for speed in cargo movements and electronic notifications on import and export containers.