Debates

Monday, 24 October 2016 - Strasbourg

Union legal framework for customs infringements and sanctions (debate)

  Jarosław Wałęsa (PPE). – Madam President, as we know, the aim of this proposal was to harmonise the approach to the enforcement of customs legislation and particularly to sanctions for infringements. At the moment, customs rules across the EU are the same under the Union’s Customs Code, but when those rules are infringed, enforcement follows 28 different sets of legal rules and administrative traditions. That creates inconsistency within Member States and can generate uncertainty for businesses. I am happy with the text that we are going to vote on this week. First of all, there will be no fixed minimum sanction for minor infringements, and secondly, for both minor and serious infringements, the financial fine should be imposed as a percentage of the duties evaded. The report also allows for the possibility, where the nature and the gravity of infringements so require, for Member States to impose criminal sanctions in accordance with national laws instead of non-criminal sanctions as provided for by the directive . I believe that with this text we are ready for further negotiations with the Council and the Commission.