Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on the 'Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Decision amending the Decision of 19 December 1996 adopting an action programme for customs in the Community - "Customs 2000"` (98/C 73/04)

On 26 September 1997, the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under Article 100a of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the above-mentioned proposal.

The Section for Industry, Commerce, Crafts and Services, which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 3 December 1997. The rapporteur was Mr Giesecke.

At its 350th plenary session held on 10 and 11 December 1997 (meeting of 10 December), the Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 101 votes to two, with six abstentions.

1. Introduction

1.1. The proposal for a decision seeks to increase the funding available for the action programme for customs in the Community ('Customs 2000`) for the period 1998-2000. The Committee endorsed the action programme in an opinion adopted in September 1995 ().

1.2. The primary source of funding for the action programme is the IDA programme. As the latter expires on 31 December 1997 and the 'Customs 2000` programme is set to run until the end of the year 2000, suitable additional funding is, however, required to cover the period 1998-2000.

2. Measures proposed by the Commission

2.1. The Commission therefore proposes to amend the financial framework of Decision No 210/97/EC () so as to cover the period 1998-2000, too.

2.2. It is proposed that funding for computerization under the 'Customs 2000` programme be set at ECU 58 million, rather than the figure of ECU 23 million stipulated hitherto.

3. Comments by the ESC

3.1. The ESC supports the Commission proposal.

3.2. The ESC particularly welcomes the priorities which have been set whereby almost half of the funding is to be allocated to the establishment of the New Computerized Transit System (NCTS) and for the purposes of harmonizing-data exchange facilities between the Member States and the Commission [Common Communication Network/Common Systems Interface (CCN/CSI)].

3.3. The ESC already underlined the importance of these two objectives in its opinion on the 'Customs 2000` action programme and its opinion on the action plan for transit in Europe ().

3.4. An 'indicative breakdown of "Custom 2000" computerization projects`, classified by a system, is given at the end of the Commission's document. As the figures indicated are merely estimates, the ESC urges that a flexible approach be adopted when allocating funding, in the light of the needs of the individual systems.

3.5. The ESC requests that it be given annual reports on the targeting and the effectiveness of funding.

3.6. These reports should indicate where funds have been switched between systems.

3.7. The ESC attaches particular importance to the fact that Community customs applications should be in line with the internationally recognized UN/EDIFACT standard. This would also ensure that communication with economic players is as it should be.

Brussels, 10 December 1997.

The President of the Economic and Social Committee

Tom JENKINS

() OJ C 301, 13.11.1995.

() OJ L 33, 4.2.1997, p. 24.

() OJ C 355, 21.11.1997.