Brussels, 16/10/2006 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 16 October the Commission announced that the updated and revised “SEED” database was now online. This database provides information on the certified economic operators throughout EU territory working in the field of products subject to excise tax. SEED enables verification of validity of economic operators' excise numbers and what products are subject to excise taxes in a given economic area. In a press release Taxation and Customs Commissioner László Kovács declared, "Offering free on-line tax related information to the business will facilitate legitimate trade and support effort to better tackle tax fraud."
Implementation of SEED corresponds to measures to fully computerise the excise movement procedures under suspension of duty as from 2009 in all Member States (EMCS in order to simplify and reduce the time needed for the discharge of excise liability. This takes place in the framework of the new Excise Movement Control System (EMCS). EMCS will speed up trade, increase security and fight more effectively against fraud, which affects above all, products like alcohol and tobacco.
EMCS will require revision of Directive 92/12/EC on the general system on the detention, movement and control of products subject to excise. Programmed for the beginning of 2007, this revision is expected to provide a legal basis for the use of computerised procedures and allow for legal simplification. In an effort to inform economic operators and national authorities of the progress achieved in the ECMS initiative, the Commission has also launched a newsletter and the regular updating of a specific column on the site of the services in charge of customs union:
http: //ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/taxation/excise_duties/circulation_control/index_en.htm.
Decision 1152/2003 constitutes the legal basis for the development until 2009 of the ECMS system. In the EU products subject to excise are alcohol and alcoholic drinks, tobacco products and energy products (e.g. oil and petrol). (mb)