European Customs modernisation was high on the agenda at a number of important meetings in November.
At the Clecat Conference in Brussels on the 'Role of Customs Services in the Facilitation of Trade Logistics', SITPRO's Graham Bartlett addressed the impact of customs and other border processes on transaction costs and the benefits for EU competitiveness that should flow from introduction of a modern paperless customs environment. He raised concerns that, although current controls do not reflect the shifting focus of customs work from the collection of duties to a control function, there are considerable doubts about the level of ambition in the Commission's Multi-Annual Strategic Plan (MASP).
Graham Bartlett explained to the conference that e-Customs should mean better, faster, cheaper clearance and fewer customs procedures and the intention was for the MASP to bring EU Customs and trade administration in line with best practice worldwide. However, he warned listeners that the MASP appears to be trying to shoehorn outdated practices into an electronic form and business is unconvinced that it will deliver timely improvements in competitiveness or promote and facilitate trade. Graham called on the Commission and the member States to work harder to provide European business with a high quality, seamless and fully functioning electronic customs environment fit for the twenty-first century.
As part of its efforts to enhance co-operation and build consensus in Europe to tackle issues like these, in November SITPRO hosted the latest meeting of the Duquesne Group, a trilateral alliance between the UK, France and Germany aimed at the sharing of information on issues of common interest. SITPRO welcomed Eveleyne Irigaray from ODASCE, Michael Wolfgang from EFA and Henricke Gartenfeld from German Customs to London to address issues including SITPRO's work on UNeDocs, BAFICAA, the Boksburg Group and European Customs reform. Ms Gartenfeld also provided a presentation on the German ATLAS export system. SITPRO Board Director Peter Wilmott commented that the opportunity to compare notes on a regular basis was important to maintain momentum in the quest for improved trade facilitation.
Finally, at the end of the month Graham Bartlett participated in a Workshop on Trade and Transport Facilitation, sharing SITPRO’s experiences as a trade facilitation agency and with the MASP project. The meeting was held in Thessaloniki for a group of visiting Moldovan trade facilitation experts as part of the World Bank Programme on Trade and Transport Facilitation in South East Europe at the invitation of Yanis Tsorbatzoglou the SECIPRO Co-ordinator.
Return to SITPRO News: Issue 59, Winter 2006/2007
