Brussels, 17/05/2006 (Agence Europe) - Presenting proposals to the press on 17 May, Commissioner for Customs and Taxation László Kovács said, “The Commission has adopted proposals on two Community programmes - Customs 2013 and Fiscalis 2013” - carrying on from the previous Customs 2007 and Fiscalis 2007 programmes. He said that funding allowed for by the Commission had been doubled, while remaining in compliance with the agreement on the 2007-2013 financial perspective. The Customs 2013 programme will be funded to the tune of 324 million euro (157 million euro for Customs 2007) and Fiscalis 2013 will receive 157 million euro (67 million euro for Fiscalis 2007). Mr Kováks said the increase in funding for the programmes was due to the increase in their duration, six years instead of five, and the need to finance specific actions, such as the electronic customs project for Customs 2013 and the computerised movement and control system for goods subject to excise duty for Fiscalis 2013. Compared with the guidelines drawn up by the Commission in April 2005, the funding for Customs 2013 remains unchanged, but that of Fiscalis 2013 has dropped by about 20 million euro (see EUROPE 8936).
Participation in these two programmes is also open to four candidate countries, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and Turkey, Mr Kováks said, adding that other countries from Eastern Europe and the Balkans would be able to take part in the future. Questioned on the principal problems met by national administrations in the Customs and taxation fields, he said they were counterfeiting for Customs and VAT carrousel fraud for taxation. According to a 2004 Commission report on administrative cooperation on VAT fraud, Carrousel fraud is a mechanism which seems to have increased over the last few years and concerns the illegal use of VAT exemption in intra-Community trade.
The objectives of the Customs 2013 programme are to support the development of a pan-European electronic customs and contribute to the implementation of the revised Community Customs code; to enhance international cooperation between European Customs administrations and those of third countries on the security of the supply chain; to support the further development of simplified procedures for compliant traders (Authorised Economic Operator); to encourage the sharing of best practice with Customs administrations in the candidate countries (official or potential) and those countries that are part of the EU neighbourhood policy.
The objectives of the Fiscalis 2013 programme are the common application of Community tax legislation; the protection of national and EU financial interests; the fight against tax evasion and fraud; the prevention of competition distortions and the reduction of the administrative burden on administrations and taxable persons.