The Hungarian Customs and Finance Guard’s Preparations for Hungary’s Integration with Europe
The Hungarian Customs and Finance Guard’s Preparations for Hungary’s Integration with Europe
Our region’s accession to the European Union will primarily result in the evolution of a larger customer market or economic area of 500 million people. On the abolishment of Hungary’s border with the European Union trading with products will, due to the customs union, become liberalized, and the approximately identical legislative background and the use of the common currency will predictably result in a significant economic growth in this region. But only a well-prepared Hungary with an institutional system of European level in all respects can benefit from these advantages.
At its Council’s meeting in Copenhagen in 1993, the European Union adopted a resolution on the possibility of an eastward expansion of the Union. Recent years have brought along major economic and social changes, which have accelerated of late and have had an increasingly powerful impact on the integration-related activities of the Hungarian Customs and Finance Guard.
The Hungarian government continues the negotiations directed at the country’s accession with the European Union, based on the principle of an integration policy that represents national interests. Building on this principle, the Customs and Finance Guard has developed its own integration strategy, which strives to represent Hungarian interests as firmly as possible by taking into account the national economy’s load-bearing capacity and assessing actual needs.
The Customs and Finance Guard continually keeps an eye on trends, and makes proposals for legal approximation to make sure the country’s accession is realized in the most effective way for both public administration and the economy, maximizing advantages and minimizing drawbacks.
A summary of the Hungarian customs authorities’ role in the integration process is below:
• To harmonize the necessity to achieve EU conformity by taking of measures serving the growth of Hungarian agriculture in the years to come until Hungary’s accession;
• To provide revenues for the national budget, and to make preparations so that, following accession, the highest possible customs revenues remain in the Hungarian budget;
• To advocate the Hungarian corporate and entrepreneurial sectors as well at the accession negotiations;
• To strengthen the customer-protecting function of customs and excise activities, in compliance with the Union’s standards;
• To take action against offenders committing crime or minor offences, thus assisting legal commerce to gain ground in Hungary.
In order to take measures of legal approximation related to customs administration, to develop an institutional background and to plan human resources, the Customs and Finance Guard established on 1 January 1998 an organizational unit responsible for the coordination of the Customs and Finance Guard’s integration with the European Union, the Integration Office. Based on Hungary’s national program, this Office worked out the organization’s strategic plan for the integration in March 1998, which, in addition to traditional legal areas of customs and excise activities, also embraces duties related to cooperation in internal and judicial affairs, statistics, financial control and common agricultural policy. Based on the European Union’s expectations from the Customs and Finance Guard, the strategic plan identifies the strategic factors that must be taken into account, so that the organization is fully capable of implementing the procedural and organizational changes required for the country’s accession with the European Union, prospectively by 1 January 2003. After elaborating the strategic plan, the Customs and Finance Guard also developed its plan about integration work that defines specific tasks concerning preparations for integration. If any new tasks arise or the expectations related to Hungary’s accession are modified, the Integration Office will promptly make the necessary adjustments in the plan on integration work.
Organizational Restructuring in Compliance with EU Standards
Regional Directorates
National Law Enforcement Center
National Control Center
National Patrol Service
Legal Approximation Relating to the Customs and Finance Guard
Legal Approximation Relating to the Excise Area
Cooperation in Internal and Judicial Affairs Fighting Against Organized Crime
Customs Cooperation
Guarding the Border
Cooperation with the Police Department
Fight Against Corruption
Legal Approximation Relating to Economic Crime
PHARE Programs
Röszke
Letenye
Border traffic nation-wide (1996)
Trends in the export and import turnover
Customs revenues in HUF million
Number of duty licences issued by the Customs and Finance Guard (1996)
Licensed brandy distillers (1996)
Statement on trends in spirits duty revenues broken down by counties (1996)
Seizures in 1996
Confiscations in 1996
Destructions in 1996
Statement on payments made in 1996 (HUF)
Statement on the number of temporary and final dosings in 1996
Market and public area inspections
Statement on the result of inspections held from 5 to 15 July 1996 in connection with tobacco products
Stattement on the result of targeted inspections held from 20 July to 30 September 1996 in connection with the touristic season
Details of the subsequent inspections carried out by the National Headquarters in 1996
Summons from abroad
Summons from associated organizations
Details of the subsequent inspections carried out by the County Headquarters in 1996
Summarized results of subsequent inspections carried out in 1996
Summons from abroad and associate organs in 1996
Resutis of the subsequent inspections carried out by the National Headquarters
Trends in the number of subsequent inspections conducted in the years 1993-1996
Nationalities of the perpetrators of acts in violation of the law investigated by the Customs and Finance Guard
Fnancial crimes and violations investigated by the Customs and Finance Guard
Distribution of perpetrators by nationality
Narcotic hauls from 1 Januaty 1991 to 31 Decernber 1996
Narcotics seized on roadways by countries on the Balkan route in 1996
Stolen vehicles seized at border crossings in 1996
Number of illegal border crossings invesstigated in 1996i
Weapons and ammunition seized in 1996
Permanent staff numbers as at 31 December 1996i
