Brussels, 04/12/2006 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 4 December European ministers of the economy gave their support to the Commission's overall approach on modernising the Community customs code. The Commissioner for customs union Laszlo Kovacs said that there was “broad support on the aim of the Commission's proposals”: facilitating trade and at the same time protecting the internal market against fraud, counterfeiting and terrorism. The objective for the Council of the EU is to attain a common approach under the German presidency.
Germany, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, France, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the United Kingdom and Slovenia supported the setting up of a single interface that will enable economic operators to carry out their tasks under a single authority. National customs authorities will be expected to maintain a key role.
The Netherlands stressed the principle of “self assessment” according to which reliable companies could benefit from certain obligations, notably in sectors like “health and taxation”. Denmark, Latvia, Sweden and Slovenia welcomed this proposal.
Although they support centralised customs treatment, several Member States posed the question of the breakdown of tax revenue and called for the gradual implementation of this system. Centralised customs treatment would enable an importer-exporter to send their tax declarations to customs authorities in the country where the company is set up, wherever goods are coming into or leaving in the EU.
Germany, Denmark, Hungary, Czech Republic and the United Kingdom supported the Commission's proposals on customs representation. Cyprus, Greece and Malta mentioned the social dimension and liberalisation of the customs representative profession. Belgium and France thought that “certification” and “control of competencies” are needed. (mb)