COMMISSION DECISION of 19 December 1994 establishing specific common programmes for the vocational training of customs officials, with regard to preferential systems, the control of containers, processing under customs control, and warehouse  regimes (Matthaeus programme) (94/844/EC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to the Council Decision 91/341/EEC of 20 June 1991, on the adoption of a community programme of action on the subject of vocational training of customs officials (Matthaeus programme) (1), and in particular Article 9 thereof,
Whereas under the terms of Article 4c of Decision 91/341/EEC, the Commission is called on to establish common vocational training programmes for customs officials;
Whereas these common programmes are essential in order to achieve the objectives pursued by the Matthaeus programme and, in particular, that concerned with the uniform application of Community law at the external frontiers of the Community;
Whereas those common programmes are rendered necessary by the diversity of teaching currently given in the customs schools of the Members States;
Whereas a common vocational programme for officials in initial training has already been adopted by Commission Decision 92/39/EEC (2);
Whereas specific common further training and specialized programmes, carried out in the customs schools in conjunction with the initial common programme, will reinforce the establishment of an identical training in customs matters throughout the  Community;
Whereas such specific common programmes will concern officials already having had some vocational experience;
Whereas three specific common programmes of development and specialization regarding inward processing, temporary admission and transit have already been adopted by Commission Decision 93/15/EEC (3);
Whereas four specific common programmes relating to preferential systems, the control of containers, processing under customs control and warehouse regimes are necessary;
Whereas this necessity arises from, on the one hand, the economic importance of preferential regimes, processing under customs control and customs warehousing and, on the other hand, the priority for the fight against fraud of the control of containers;
Whereas, the teaching of these programmes will assist the uniform application in the Community of the customs rules and assure the proper functioning of the single market;
Whereas the officials to whom these specific common programmes will be given must, through their work experience, be able to derive full benefit from the programmes and thereby ensure better application of the relevant community customs law and a more  effective fight against fraud in the future;
Whereas the measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Matthaeus Committee,
Two specific common programmes, hereinafter referred to as 'specific programmes', intended for customs officials and the contents of which are described respectively in Annexes I, II, III and IV, shall be put into effect in the customs  schools of the Member States.
For the purpose of this Decision:
(1) 'customs school' means all establishments in which teaching relating to vocational training is given to customs officials;
(2) 'officials already having training experience' means officials who have already received initial training within the meaning of point 2 of Article 2 of Decision 92/39/EEC or alternatively those officials possessing sufficient general customs  knowledge to be able to study in depth the matters considered in the specific programmes.
The specific programmes are intended for customs officials responsible for the application of that part of the Community law covered by these programmes or in the fight against fraud in containers and already having vocational experience;  wherever they carry out their tasks.
The teaching of the specific programmes must be spread over a period adequate to allow the trained officials to be fully operational in the future application of the systems concerned and the control of containers.
Each Member State shall send to the Commission the arrangements and methods used for the application of the specific programmes.
The application of the specific programmes does not prevent the teaching of supplementary national programmes in customs schools.
This Decision applies from 1 January 1995.
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.