NEW INSTRUMENT FOR MODERN AND RELIABLE CUSTOMS CONTROL EQUIPMENT
On 24 June, the EU Council and the European Parliament signed the regulation establishing the instrument for financial support of about €1 billion for customs control equipment. The new instrument aims to ensure that customs authorities at the EU’s external borders are properly equipped so that the EU Customs Union can function smoothly. The customs control equipment instrument will support the purchase, maintenance and upgrade of the equipment needed for efficient and effective customs controls. It can be used to fund items such as x-ray scanners, radiation detectors, automated number plate recognition systems and mobile laboratories for analysis of goods samples.
The regulation will apply retroactively from 1 January 2021, and together with the Customs programme for cooperation in the field of customs, forms a solid basis for the continuous development of the EU Customs Union under the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework. The Customs programme supports cooperation between customs authorities across the Union and allows the joint development and operation of pan-European IT systems.
Source: Council of the EU