Brussels, 23/10/2002 (Agence Europe) - In Brussels on Tuesday high level European Commission officials met US Customs officials to pursue negotiations over the US Container Security Initiative (CSI), launched by US Customs after the attacks of 11 September (agreements between the US and various ports to check the contents of shipping containers, see Europe of 18 July, p.8). The first such meeting was held on 31 July. At the second meeting, both sides acknowledged they needed to work more closely together on a reciprocal basis and endorse common standards for controls in order to improve security and smooth the path for legitimate trade. In Brussels on 4 November, Commissioner Frits Bolkestein will discuss the CSI with US official Tom Ridge.
The EU and the US agreed to quickly explore the possibility of signing a declaration of principle to cooperate on a mutually acceptable container security system covering the whole of the EU (some EU ports have already agreed to cooperate with the US, namely Le Havre, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Hamburg and Bremerhaven, while ports in Italy and the UK are currently negotiating with the US, despite the Commission's warnings from the start about the danger of creating a two-tier European port system). There is still no agreement over the proposed 24 hour rule whereby carriers must provide US Customs with cargo information 24 hours before a cargo is due to be loaded on a ship destined for the US. The EU feels this would give rise to logistical problems and high extra charges. Both parties agreed to carry out further analysis and hold regular meetings until next summer with a view to discussing the issue at the World Customs Union.
The International Maritime Organisation will be discussing maritime safety at a conference in London on 9-13 December, which will consider introducing compulsory ship identification and port security measures.