Brussels, 12/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - The new Community customs code took effect, last week, with as goal to modernise customs procedures and simplify import and export declarations. "These improvements will be of direct benefit to traders and customs administrations by reducing costs and accelerating procedures, and allowing for administrative procedures to be achieved electronically", the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Frits Bolkestein was pleased to announce. The renewed code will also pave the way to more flexible methods of control for duty-free areas, in view of rendering them more attractive.
Submitted in 1998, this draft regulation was the subject of a dispute in December 1999 between the European commission and Council. According to the European Executive, the Fifteen are indeed preparing to adopt a text offering adequate guarantees against fraud on the origin of products imported into the EU. The code finally approved includes a new provision on the "good faith" of the importers of goods under a preferential scheme, which, for the European Commission, assures a "just balance" between the safeguard of the Community's financial interests and the responsibility of importers. The latter will thus have to prove their good faith, in case of fraudulent imports involving large losses of customs duties for the Community. They will not be able to invoke this once the European Commission has, through a notice published in the Official Journal, referred to doubts based on the correct application of the preferential regime by the beneficiary company (see EUROPE of 10 March, p.11 and 18 March, p.10).