Customs 2007

Period: 2003 to 2007
Budget: EUR 133 million

Due to globalisation and the large international trading community, the EU needs to ensure an effective customs union for the internal market. The Customs 2007 programme seeks to improve the customs union against these new demands through cooperation and communication among the Member States' customs administrators, so all authorities working in this field are efficient and equal. By ensuring an effective customs union, the programme also ensures financial protection and security by specifically combating fraud. While the programme ensures cooperation between Member States, it also includes accession countries to ensure successful integration into the Union.

Since the Customs 2007 programme will be expiring at the end of 2007, a new programme titled Customs 2013 has been proposed, to learn more about this new programme click here.

In the efforts to secure the financial interests of the Union, the programme identifies the following areas of priority to work in:

• Improve standardization and ensure cooperation in trade to reduce the cost of compliance

• Develop and implement best practices, especially in post-clearance audit control, risk analysis and simplified procedures;

• Implement measurement methods to use in regards to Member States' actions

• Ensure there are no differences or conflictions between States

• Standardise and simplify customs procedures

• Ensure cooperation in tariff classifications

• Develop an electronic customs communication system

• Improve existing communication and information systems or develop new ones

• Ensure the successful integration of candidate countries into the customs union

• Help third countries develop their customs services

• Implement customs training programmes

To allow for cooperation and harmonisation of customs actions throughout the Union, the programme supports exchange programmes between Member States for customs officials, as well as the establishment of seminars, conferences and training programmes.

Besides having equally knowledgeable and competent authorities, the programme also envisions equally in technology, communication and customs systems.

The following systems should be coordinated between member states to ensure effective information exchange and communication:

• Common Communications Network/ Common Systems Interface (CCN/CSI)

• Data Dissemination System (DDS)

• New Computerised Transit System (NCTS/NSTI)

• Integrated Tariff of the Community Information System (TARIC)

• Transfer of origin stamps and Transmission of Transit Stamps information systems (TCO/TCT)

• European Customs Inventory of Chemical Substances (ECICS)

• European Binding Tariff Information System (EBTI/RTCE)

• Tariff Quota Surveillance Management System (TQS)

• Inward-Processing Relief System (IPR)

• Unit Values System

• Suspensions Information System

• Any other IT Community systems in the customs area

More information