Brussels, 26/04/2005 (Agence Europe) - The Commission has defined guidelines for the new generation of Customs 2013 and Fiscalis 2013 programmes that will take over from the existing programmes as of 2007. It suggests a considerable rise in the financial allocation over seven years, increasing it from EUR 157 to 324 million for Customs 2013 and from EUR 67 to 175 million for Fiscalis 2013. The programmes will focus on improving trans-European computerised networks and cooperation between national authorities of Member States and with those of countries adhering to the programme or third countries. The Commission will make legislative proposals early 2006.
The Commission hopes to allocate 76% of the Customs 2013 budget and 64% of the Fiscalis 2013 budget to all computerised actions. The trans-European IT networks have taken on a strategic dimension in the activities of European customs and tax administrations on the ground. In the customs sector, the CCN/CSI (Common Communications Network/Common Systems Interface) security network is the central pillar of electronic data exchange. It enjoys considerable success in terms of consultation with 180 million messages diffused in 2004. In the field of taxation, the VAT Information Exchange System (VIES) groups national databases and allows information to be exchanged on intra-Community deliveries of exonerated goods. It carried around 80 million messages in 2004. In the field of taxation, a new generation of the VIES system as well as a one-stop shop for operators is one of the new initiatives envisaged.
Cooperation between the national administrations of Member States and with those of the adherent and third countries is a central element of the two future Community programmes. The development of training tools, especially on-line, and the exchange of good practices will allow a more uniform approach for perfecting actions to be carried out. Customs 2013 and Fiscalis 2013 will have an external chapter. They will provide assistance for candidate countries, for partners in the Neighbourhood Policy and to other third countries in order to promote stronger administrative capacity in the customs and taxation fields. Close collaboration with the European Agency for the management of and operational cooperation at external borders is also foreseen.
The Customs 2013 and Fiscalis 2013 programmes are part of the recent sector-specific proposals made by the Commission in the context of its financial perspectives (see EUROPE 8922). They will be financed under the heading on “competitiveness for growth and employment”.