Customs Cooperation
Customs Cooperation
Naples Treaties Nos. 1 and 2 serve as the bases of customs cooperation in the European Union. Until Hungary joins the EU, its customs cooperation will continue to take place under bilateral agreements. Today Hungary has agreements on customs cooperation with more than 20 countries, and carries on negotiations in this respect with several other states.
The Naples Treaty No. 2 has a scope that extends to the EU member states, therefore, Hungary can become a participant in the Treaty only after joining the European Union.
The Chapter on internal and judicial affairs of Hungary’s national program for adopting the European Union’s achievements (ANP) indicates the development of a liaison officer system as an integration task. The Chapter declares that Naples Treaty No. 2 contains requirements that exceed bilateral agreements on customs cooperation. It identifies the task of creating a system of customs liaison officers within customs administrations.
The national program for adopting the European Union’s achievements (ANP) suggests creating the liaison officer network relating to the Naples Treaty No. 2. from 2001. The proposal stipulates as a precondition thereof that a positive decision should be made at the domestic conciliatory negotiations to be held on the development of the network.
Another important area of customs cooperation is the computer-aided information gathering and transfer between EU member states (Customs Information System or CIS) that allows national customs administrations to exchange information relevant to customs with the aid of a computer network.
Another task for the organization is to develop a concept on the operation of the Customs Information System (CIS) and to invite a twinning program in consideration of the COP 2000 PHARE program, which is being currently organized in the framework of a twinning program with the Spanish customs administration, and to build up, pursuant to Article 6 of Naples Treaty No. 2, a system of customs liaison officers (customs attachés) which is to be implemented and conceptualized by the Integration Office. As customs administrations have to perform Community tasks that change on an everyday basis, the objective is to create a uniform infrastructure.
