News Release
No. 161/04
November 15, 2004
CUSTOMS: EU AND US ADOPT MEASURES TO STRENGTHEN
MARITIME CONTAINER SECURITY
The first measures contributing to strengthening the security
of maritime container transport have been agreed by the EU and the US. The
measures, which will facilitate legitimate trade through mutually acceptable reciprocal
security standards and industry partnership programs, have been adopted in the
framework of the agreement
to extend the EU/US Customs Agreement
to include trade security co-operation, signed in Washington
on 22 April 2004.
The measures adopted today in the framework of the EC-US Joint Customs Co-operation
Committee include creation of an information exchange network, the agreement on
minimum requirements applicable for all European ports willing to participate
in the US
Container Security Initiative (CSI) and identification of best practices concerning
security controls of international trade. They include also a pilot project that
focuses on shipments transiting through both the US and the EU in view of testing
the feasibility of exchanging cargo information on transhipments and freight remaining
on board to enable customs authorities to identify, monitor and assess the risk
associated with transhipments. Both sides agree also that the exchange of information
is a vital component of customs security actions to protect global trade and decided
to define and establish standards for sharing information. The US invited the
EC to post liaison officers at the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) National
Targeting Center, which will further improve the exchange of information, the
sharing of best practices and the refinement of common risk indicators with regard
to the terrorist
threat.
In view of facilitating legitimate trade while securing the supply chain, EC and
US experts will study the industry partnership programs applied in the EC and
the US. The outcome of the study will support the further cooperation towards
the development of mutually acceptable reciprocal industry partnership programs.
Recognizing that emerging technologies can promote greater efficiency and can
improve security in the international supply chain, both sides agreed to establish
a joint group of appropriate experts to explore innovative developments and their
application.
The measures are a first result in view of the future full implementation of the
EC-US Agreement on CSI and will be followed by further measures aiming at improving
security on a reciprocal basis for both the EC and the US.
The EU-US Joint Customs Co-operation Committee suggested that experts from the
Commission and the CPB continue working towards realization of the overall objective
of mutual recognition and reciprocity of measures and standards and submit first
results of the proposed actions and further recommendations in spring 2005. The
outcome of the EC-US customs co-operation paves the way for comparable measures
applicable to all modes of transport.
For further details:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/taxation_customs/customs/policy_issues/
customs_security/index_en.htm
