The Odesa Forum – Business Community convened for the first time on 8 June.  The Forum brings together experts from EUBAM and business organisations and representatives who have an interest in the operation of Odesa’s ports.  The forum will be a platform for promoting and collaborating on trade and logistics issues connected with port operations.  Francesco Bastagli, Head of EUBAM outlined the role EUBAM can play in supporting and assisting business to adapt to and benefit from the extensive reforms to trade procedures required as part of the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (AA/DCFTA).   The AA/DCFTA will have a major impact on clearance procedures at the port.  It has the potential to speed up trade, drive down business costs, boost regional growth, open up the EU market for Ukraine, and make Odesa’s ports internationally competitive. Topics covered included: the key role of risk analysis procedures and the effective flow of information for speeding up and simplifying trade procedures; legislative issues; and the New Computerised Transit System which will be introduced as one of the requirements of the AA/DCFTA.  An initial plan of work was agreed and the Forum is expected to meet again in July.