European Council Approves New Customs Plan

The European Council approved the European Commission’s Customs Action Plan, saying it will make European Union customs operations “smarter, more innovative and more efficient,” a Dec. 21 news release said. The plan, announced in September, includes new measures to support the EU Customs Union, tackle smuggling and combat customs duty fraud, and features a rollout of modern customs equipment and an EU-wide single customs portal (see 2009280023). Although the EC “welcomes” the commission’s plan, it added that “complex challenges in the customs area are best tackled” through cooperation, urging the commission to respect the “competences and the responsibilities of the EU institutions and the member states.” The council agreed that the EU should improve cooperation between customs, police and other law enforcement agencies, and said it welcomes the creation of a group of member states “to consider how to further modernise the Customs Union.”