Commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the European Customs Union
- from: 03.07.2008
- to: 04.07.2008
- In: Paris
Under the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Eric Woerth, Minister for the Budget, Public Accounts and the Civil Service will preside over the ceremony to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the European Customs Union.
Attending this symbolic event in Paris on 4 July will be László Kovács, the European Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union, the Customs Directors-General of the Member States of the European Union and Turkey, representatives from the European Commission, the French and European parliaments and the Secretary-General of the World Customs Organization.
"The Paris Declaration" on the evolution of the role of European customs and their new challenges will be adopted officially during this ceremony.
In 1957, the six founder members of Europe (Germany, Belgium, Italy, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands) signed the Treaty of Rome creating the European Community and announcing the establishment of Customs Union between these countries.
The Customs Union between the six Member States of the European Community was thus created on 1 July 1968.
Customs Union has made it possible to abolish the customs duties applicable to trade in goods between Member States of the European Community, which has since become the European Union.
At the same time, a Common Customs Tariff was introduced. Thus, a product originating from a country outside the Customs Union is taxed in the same way irrespective of the Member State into which it is imported.
The creation of the Single Market in 1993 lifted customs barriers within Europe, allowing the free circulation of goods, capital and people by abolishing internal border controls within the Community.
Customs Union has been one of the driving forces behind the construction of Europe, expanding as new countries have joined the European Union, which now has 27 Member States.
Customs Union has enabled European businesses to improve their productivity while taking advantage of the benefits of the Single Market and then the single currency, two significant steps in European integration which would have been pointless without the creation of a Customs Union.
As the customs territory is common to all Member States, all imported products are taxed the same way and must comply with the same formalities.
Since customs checks at the Community's internal borders therefore no longer serve their original purpose, the establishment of customs services has evolved and controls now take place all over EU territory to intercept fraud.
Customs missions focusing on the collection of duties and taxes have been expanded to the fight against the illegal trafficking of drugs, tobacco, counterfeit goods and weapons and to checking industrial products and foodstuffs imported into Europe for compliance with the relevant standards.
Development of the use of information and communication technologies by European customs services has accompanied this change to the missions of customs authorities by facilitating the transfer of information and reducing formalities for businesses while enabling more effective, reactive European cooperation.
The European Customs Union, after 40 years of existence, remains the cornerstone of European integration. It has helped bring European territories, businesses and customs authorities closer together in order to provide European citizens a secure, protected environment.
40th anniversary of the European Customs Union: adoption of the "Paris Declaration"
(Report)
- Updated: 18.12.2008
