Basic tasks in the area of providing for protection of the market and security of international trade are in principle common to all customs administrations. International trade always affects at least two customs administrations. Each of them can only control a part of the whole business transaction. Consequently, it is essential that customs administrations closely cooperate on the basis of international agreements, which provide a legal framework for the exchange of information and documents, mutual assistance in investigations related to breach of customs regulations, etc. The Czech Republic has signed agreements on mutual assistance in customs matters with more than twenty countries. It is also important to mention that the Customs Administration of the Czech Republic is a long-term member of the World Customs Organization. This fact contributes significantly to easier communication with other customs administrations throughout the world.
It is understandable that the closest cooperation occurs between the customs administrations of the
European Union which jointly provide supervision over the single customs territory of the Community on the basis of common customs legislation. This cooperation is regulated by the EU legal regulations and is extended by the Naples II Convention and the Council Decision on the Customs Information System. An important task of the European Commission is to ensure that common customs regulations are implemented uniformly over the entire territory of the EU and thus that the same conditions exist for all commercial entities that import or export goods. One of the instruments helping to achieve this goal is the Customs 2013 program (to be followed by the Customs 2020 program) which is focused on support and development of activities of the customs administrations of the EU Member States with the aim to continuously implement uniform methods corresponding to new trends in the customs domain. The Czech Customs Administration joined this program at the end of the 1990s and continues to actively participate in it.