The Commission presented its final evaluation of the Customs 2013 programme established by Decision 624/2007/EC as a multiannual action programme for customs in the European Union to support and complement action undertaken by Member States in ensuring the effective functioning of the internal market in the customs field.

Customs 2013 ran from the 1st of January 2008 until the 31st of December 2013. Participation in the programme was open to the Member States, the candidate countries benefiting from a pre-accession strategy, as well as potential candidate and certain partner countries of the European Neighbourhood Policy.

The financial envelope was set at EUR 323.8 million. However, examination of the budget commitments showed that the real cost of the programme was about 15% lower, amounting to about EUR 272 million . Out of this, the IT systems accounted for EUR 225 million and the remaining EUR 47 million was dedicated to joint actions.

The present report is based on the findings and conclusions presented in the external evaluation report:

Programme’s added-value : the evaluation identified a strong case for the European added value of the programme, particularly regarding its role in supporting the implementation of EU customs legislation at national level:

at a general level, the IT systems funded through the programme were highly complementary to national initiatives; the programme helped to implement EU legislation more quickly and at a lower cost than would been possible without support from the programme. the joint actions enabled direct collaboration between officials from different countries; there was still considerable diversity in the execution of customs processes related to import around the EU . The time to import a standard container of goods can vary from 5 days to 19 days across the 28 members of the Union; however, while this diversity still persists, the evaluators found that it was significantly reduced during the programming period; the evaluation concluded that Member States would find it difficult to continue to use the IT systems past the medium-term , given the considerable running and maintenance costs the IT systems;

Efficiency : the Commission accepted the conclusions reached by the external consultant, albeit with some reservations concerning the absence of quantitative data to support the conclusions and the unmeasured and general nature of the conclusions reached on the effectiveness and efficiency of the project.

The main conclusions of the evaluation as drawn up by the external consultant, with which the Commission agrees, are summed up below:

the Customs 2013 programme made a significant contribution towards enhanced safety and security, the protection of the EU’s financial interest and the facilitation of trade ; the correct application of EU customs tariffs and more generally customs legislation would not have been possible without the programme, and the mix of actions has contributed to this; the trans-European systems allowed for burden sharing between the European Union and participating countries (in the short-term there remains considerable room for improving the interoperability between existing national systems and those funded through the programme); the enhanced effectiveness of risk management systems has contributed not only to the enhanced control of dangerous goods, but also to the effective identification and collection of customs duties; the entirely paperless environment that now exists for handling customs declarations has allowed the Customs Union to become more secure while carrying out fewer of the manual controls that slow down the flow of trade ; the networking fostered through the joint actions was also considered crucial for several reasons, including ensuring the consistent application of customs legislation, spreading best practices and building the trust needed for administrations to act is if they were one administration.

Recommendations : the evaluators put forward several recommendations with the view to improving the programme’s operations. The recommendations are summarised below :

develop specific and measurable goals that can be achieved during the life of the programme; develop a comprehensive monitoring framework to track performance and to identify issues of concern in a timely manner; streamline the platforms used for sharing documents and facilitating communication between the Commission and Member States; take an active approach toward the achievement of policies aimed at centralised customs clearance; ensure joint actions are flexible and adaptable as well as more goal-oriented and accountable; develop a more systematic mechanism to review longstanding joint actions periodically; communicate more with national administrations on the outcomes of joint actions; address technical issues and user problems of specific IT systems that inhibit their contribution to key customs processes; enhance the integration of EU and national IT systems; use potential efficiency gains to make the case for further harmonisation and integration of IT systems. The various costs and benefits of centralised IT systems at EU and national levels should be examined in greater depth.

The Commission will undertake a dedicated exercise to address the recommendations and draw up an action plan for their implementation and follow-up :

the operational findings, such as improvements to the IT systems and applications or broader dissemination of the programme’s results, will be directly addressed in the course of the current programme Customs 2020 ; others relating to enhancing the integration of EU and national IT systems will support future discussions on the scope and design of the post-2020 iteration of the programme.

COM(2015)0064
EUR-Lex

In accordance with Article 22 (1) of Decision 624/2007/EC (the Customs 2013 Decision) the Commission presents a midterm evaluation of the Customs 2013 programme based on input from Member States.

Objective: the midterm evaluation aims to evaluate the desirability of continuing the programme, and assess whether adjustments to the programme for the remaining years in terms of activity planning may be required.

The results of the evaluation will also feed into the ongoing impact assessment on the future Customs 2020 programme.

The midterm evaluation assessed (i) the impact of activities carried out under the programme from 2008 until March 2011; (ii) the progress made so far in the programming period and the extent to which the objectives of the programme were achieved (the effectiveness of the programme) at a reasonable cost (the programme’s efficiency); (ii) whether the objectives correspond to the needs in the customs area (assessing the relevance); (iv) the extent to which the programme provides EU added value, i.e. whether the programme’s objectives can be better achieved through a Community programme than by Member States; (v) the use of funding and the progress of follow-up and implementation in particular regarding the management of the programme.

Findings: the evaluation shows that the programme is closely aligned with the needs and problems of the beneficiaries, and is a good vehicle for supporting the implementation of customs policy. In addition, it provides strong evidence that the programme’s outputs achieved the desired effects. The programme’s generally high efficiency and effectiveness is also partly explained by its professional management which has been evaluated as very positive. The evaluation also shows that activities financed by Customs 2013 helped to harmonise the working methods of national customs administrations. In addition, the flexibility built into the programme has been highlighted as a positive aspect of its implementation. For example, this allowed project groups to draw on the experience of national customs administrations to address particular problems and develop solutions. The report also concluded that the programme provides significant EU added value.

The Commission acknowledges the very positive assessment of the programme by all stakeholders. The programme manages to reach the objectives set for it by providing national customs administrations with a platform for collaboration, additional tools, common or interoperable IT systems, common training, and opportunities for coordination. This demonstrates clearly the EU added value of the programme. National administrators in the customs area expressed remarkably high levels of appreciation of Customs 2013. The Commission concludes that continuing the programme is generally desirable.

Recommendations for the remaining programming period : the main suggestions for even greater success in the remaining years until 2013 are the following:

address external issues which slow down the progress of trade facilitation; support full implementation of the Modernised Customs Code Implementing Provisions (MCCIP) and risk management and the uniform application of key new rules, processes, and concepts; communicate the results of project groups developing and implementing the Future Customs Initiative to a wider audience; establish mechanisms to assist customs authorities in preventing, investigating and fighting illegal operations; carefully consider human resources implications of new Customs 2013 activities, and avoid increasing the overall burden on Member States and Commission staff in the present economic climate; encourage participation of trade associations in Customs 2013 activities, wherever relevant and appropriate, and ensure transparency in selecting and inviting representatives of individual companies to participate in joint actions; monitor the uptake of common training tools and provide additional support, if necessary; expand support to candidate countries and potential candidates (including non participating countries); address external issues that limit the effectiveness of trans-European and common customs IT systems; improve the proceedings of and interactions between some of Customs 2013 bodies; improve the way ART2 (the second version of the Activity Reporting Tool launched through Customs 2013) reflects the links between activities and Customs 2013 objectives / priorities.

The Commission generally endorses the recommendations , and will draw up an action plan that will respond to each of the recommendations outlined in the evaluation report and clarify the extent to which they can be implemented for the remaining years of activity planning. For example, the Commission is aware of the importance attached to the full implementation of the MCCIP. Work is progressing in this area through the current programme and this progress will be reinforced under the future programme. The human resource implications of Customs 2013 activities will be reflected upon and this recommendation will feed into the design of the successor programme which will aim to introduce more structured and efficient ways of cooperation.

Similarly, the Commission also aims to monitor the uptake of common training tools under the current programme and this will also be taken into close consideration in the impact assessment for the future programme. It will examine the Customs 2013 governance scheme and the functioning of the Committee and Steering Groups. It agrees with the suggestion by the consultants that improvements are possible.

COM(2011)0537
EUR-Lex

PURPOSE: the establishment of: “Customs 2013”.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision No 624/2007/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing an action programme for customs in the Community (Customs 2013).

BACKGROUND: customs administration plays a vital role in protecting the Community’s financial interests. It provides an equivalent level of protection to both EU economic operators as well as EU citizens. The main objective of the EU’s custom’s policy is to ensure that national customs administrations operate as one single administration in order to ensure optimal efficiency. In 2003, the Community approved a customs action programme referred to as “Customs 2007” the purpose of which was to help finance these objectives. Customs 2007 expired on 31 December 2006.

CONTENT: the purpose of this Decision is the establishment of “Customs 2013” aligned along similar lines to that of its predecessor and to coincide with the 2007-2013 Financial Perspectives with a total multi-annual budget amounting to EUR 323 800 000. The new programme will last for a period of six years commencing on 1 January 2007 and expiring on 31 December 2013. Its objective will be to support and complement action undertaken by the Member States in order to guarantee the effective functioning of the internal market in the customs field. In pursuing the more general, overall objectives, of strengthening security and safety and supporting the internal market, the programme will be able to support more specific objectives namely and amongst others, a reduction in the administrative burden and costs of the Member States; applying best working practices; ensuring uniform and unambiguous tariff classifications; and supporting the creation of a pan-European electronic customs environment.

The programme has been divided into a number of activities. In brief that are:

Communication and information exchange systems: The Decision specifies what electronic systems will apply for the implementation of Customs 2013. For example, the common communications network and interface will be CCN/CSI and the computerised transit system will apply the CTS system. Under this framework, the Commission will be responsible for concluding contracts to ensure the operational nature of Community components – i.e. the hardware, software and network connections that are common to all participating countries.

The Member States, on the other hand will be responsible for all non-Community components of the ICT exchange – i.e. national databases forming part of these systems. National administrations must ensure that the non-Community components are kept operational and must ensure the interoperability of these components with Community components.

Benchmarking: Benchmarking activities such as working methods, procedures or processing that involve agreed indicators to identify best practices, may be organised between two or more participating countries.

Seminars and workshops: To be organised regularly by both the Commission and the Member States in order to keep those involved abreast of latest developments.

Project groups and steering groups: Project groups may be established charged with carrying out specific tasks within a specified time-scale. Steering groups will perform co-ordinating activities.

Working visits: Working visits, to be organised by the participating states, may be organised that last no longer than one month.

Training activities: The Commission and national administrations will co-operate in the development of training standards, training programmes, access to training courses and the provisions of training infrastructure. Customs officials will receive initial and continuing training that may be needed to acquire common professional skills and knowledge.

Monitoring actions: Monitoring will be carried out by joint teams made up of customs officials from the Member States and Commission officials. They will visit different points in the Community’s customs territory where customs administrations carry out their duties.

Participating in Customs 2013 and Information sharing : Representatives of international organisations, third countries and economic operators may take part in the programme. The Commission, together with the participating countries, will develop the sharing of information resulting from the Programme’s activities.

As far as expenditure is concerned the Community will bear the following costs: the acquisitions, development, installation and maintenance of the Community components of the ICT system; the travel and living expenses of officials incurred for benchmarking activities and the cost of organising seminars and workshops. The participating countries, on the other hand, will bear the cost of the non-Community components of the ICT exchange system and the initial and continuing training of their officials – particularly their linguistic training.

In its final provisions, the Decision specifies that the programme will be subject to continuous monitoring as well as mid-term and final evaluations.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 4 July 2007.

APPLICATION: from 1 January 2008.

REPEALED: Decision No 253/2003/EC as from 1 January 2008.

Decision 2007/624
OJ L 154 14.06.2007, p. 0025

03679/5/2006

SP(2007)0303

Results of vote in Parliament

The European Parliament adopted a resolution drafted by Jannelly FOURTOU (ALDE, FR) and made some amendments to the Commission’s proposal. Those amendments conformed largely to the changes made by its competent committee. (Please see the summary of 22/11/2006.)

It should be recalled that this is one of three reports, all of which aim to revise the EU customs framework to meet evolving challenges in trade, technology and security. The other reports involve a modernised EU Customs Code ( COD/2005/0246 ) and a paperless environment for customs and trade ( COD/2005/0247 .)

T6-0538/2006

Debate in Parliament

A6-0428/2006

A6-0428/2006

The committee adopted the report by Jannelly FOURTOU (ALDE, FR) amending - under the 1st reading of the codecision procedure - the proposed decision establishing an action programme for customs in the Community (Customs 2013):

- one of the aims of the Customs 2013 programme should be "to ensure the effective operation of the internal market in the customs field";

- the specific objectives of the programme should include ensuring "a standard and unambiguous classification of tariffs in the European Union, in particular by improving coordination and cooperation between laboratories";

- a ceiling of 5% of the overall cost of the programme should be laid down for the costs of "any other activities required for the realisation of the objectives of the programme";

- the participating countries should bear the cost of the development, acquisition, installation, maintenance and day-to-day operation of the non-Community components of the communication and exchange systems, as well as the cost relating to the initial and continuous training (in particular linguistic training) of their officials;

- it should be possible for on-the-spot audits by the Commission to take place unannounced;

- the deadline for submission of the mid-term evaluation report should be 31 July 2011 rather than 30 September 2011, to take account of deadlines in the EP's budgetary procedure.

PE378.765

CES1374/2006

PE380.654

PE378.798

PURPOSE: the establishment of an action programme ( Customs 2013 ).

PROPOSED ACT: Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council.

CONTENT: on 31 December 2007 the current Customs action programme, “Customs 2007” will expire. The proposed Decision being presented by the Commission is for the establishment of Customs 2013. It is being submitted together with the Fiscalis 2013 programme. Both programmes will last from 1 January 2008 to 30 December 2013.

A Community action programme offers a number of advantages, not least its ability to co-ordinate, organise and simplify customs’ administration in a way which the 25 Member States, acting on their own, would find challenging to do. It also has the additional advantage of giving priority to anti-fraud activities, reducing costs for businesses, ensuring the efficient management of the control of goods at the external borders as well as offering security for the international supply chain.

The overall objective of Customs 2013 will be to ensure that the EU’s customs activities match the needs of the internal market and offer supply chain security. Its other objectives are to ensure equivalence of controls at every point of the Community’s customs territory and to encourage the concept that customs administrations work as “one administration”; to protect the financial interests of the Community; to strengthen security and safety for the EU’s citizens and to prepare customs administration for enlargement in the countries concerned.

The proposed Decision lists a set of more specific objectives as well which include, inter alia, the following: a reduction of the administrative burden on economic operators by standardising customs controls; to apply best working practices; to prevent any irregularities; to support the creation of a pan-European electronic customs environment through inter-operable communication and information systems; and to develop and reinforce common training.

Participants to the Customs 2013 programme will be the EU Member States but it will also be open to candidate countries benefiting from a pre-accession strategy; potential candidate countries and partner countries of the European Neighbourhood policy whose legislation has approximated that of the EU’s.

Emphasis will be put on safety and security; boosting the competitiveness of EU companies and strengthening the internal market. The programme will also support the creation of an electronic paperless customs. The impact of the Customs programme on day-to-day working is considerable. The existing IT system provides, daily, information to some 100 000 customs officials and acts as a critical tool in the fight against counterfeiting.

For further information concerning the financial implications of this measure, please refer to the financial statement.

COM(2006)0201
EUR-Lex

SEC(2006)0570
EUR-Lex

PURPOSE: the establishment of an action programme ( Customs 2013 ).

PROPOSED ACT: Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council.

CONTENT: on 31 December 2007 the current Customs action programme, “Customs 2007” will expire. The proposed Decision being presented by the Commission is for the establishment of Customs 2013. It is being submitted together with the Fiscalis 2013 programme. Both programmes will last from 1 January 2008 to 30 December 2013.

A Community action programme offers a number of advantages, not least its ability to co-ordinate, organise and simplify customs’ administration in a way which the 25 Member States, acting on their own, would find challenging to do. It also has the additional advantage of giving priority to anti-fraud activities, reducing costs for businesses, ensuring the efficient management of the control of goods at the external borders as well as offering security for the international supply chain.

The overall objective of Customs 2013 will be to ensure that the EU’s customs activities match the needs of the internal market and offer supply chain security. Its other objectives are to ensure equivalence of controls at every point of the Community’s customs territory and to encourage the concept that customs administrations work as “one administration”; to protect the financial interests of the Community; to strengthen security and safety for the EU’s citizens and to prepare customs administration for enlargement in the countries concerned.

The proposed Decision lists a set of more specific objectives as well which include, inter alia, the following: a reduction of the administrative burden on economic operators by standardising customs controls; to apply best working practices; to prevent any irregularities; to support the creation of a pan-European electronic customs environment through inter-operable communication and information systems; and to develop and reinforce common training.

Participants to the Customs 2013 programme will be the EU Member States but it will also be open to candidate countries benefiting from a pre-accession strategy; potential candidate countries and partner countries of the European Neighbourhood policy whose legislation has approximated that of the EU’s.

Emphasis will be put on safety and security; boosting the competitiveness of EU companies and strengthening the internal market. The programme will also support the creation of an electronic paperless customs. The impact of the Customs programme on day-to-day working is considerable. The existing IT system provides, daily, information to some 100 000 customs officials and acts as a critical tool in the fight against counterfeiting.

For further information concerning the financial implications of this measure, please refer to the financial statement.

COM(2006)0201
EUR-Lex