protection through action

2018 Results 2018 results contents

04 key figures 06 highlights

Fighting illicit trafficking 08

promoting business 16 competitiveness

leading the transformation of government action 22

appendices basic facts about 26 french customs FOREWORD

Gérald Darmanin, across the entire territory, while also harnessing Minister for innovation to prepare for the challenges that lie Government Action ahead. and Public Accounts I am very proud to present the annual report for 2018 and showcase our achievements in combating illicit trafficking, engaging with a trust-based society, preparing for Brexit and commencing the transformation of our government action. Furthermore, Customs has built up the trust of businesses with the twin goal of transparency and ne year ago, I set a priority for simplification. It was one of the first government Customs to combat tobacco departments to implement the new law for a smuggling in support of the public trust-based society and has fully incorporated health policy advocated by the the new measures – to make a mistake, President and the Prime Minister. rulings and the right to a request a review – into Against a backdrop of rising tobacco its audit and review procedures. prices, all forms of tobacco trafficking were in our sights as we moved to 2018 was also shaped by our transformation. Oprotect the health of French citizens, safeguard We reorganised the Directorate General and the resources of the social security system and overhauled our coordination of the Customs preserve tobacconists’ distribution monopoly network, in addition to our human resources in . policy and our airborne and maritime strategy. We also redefined the scope of the National Our Customs officers rose to the challenge. Customs Judicial Department. These moves all Backed by tougher laws, our officers ramped testify to our ability to use innovation to meet the up controls all over the French territory: at land challenges of international trade and the shifting borders, in ports, airports and train stations, in landscape of fraud. postal sorting centres and on the Internet. In 2019, our efforts will intensify as we witness We also stepped up our presence in urban and major changes in the EU Customs Union with peri-urban areas to stop retailers and street the return of a third-country border. sellers from engaging in illicit tobacco sales. Our Customs has chosen to prepare early for the focus has been on all forms of trafficking and all new situation as we ready our departments and types of tobacco. assist economic operators. We have developed Increased mobilisation has led to a higher number an innovative border management solution to keep of seizures and fines. Courts have handed trade flowing between France and the United down prison sentences for heavy trafficking by Kingdom in keeping with the protection rules organised gangs. for the EU territory. Customs has engaged in a Meanwhile, Customs has continued to work regional information campaign to help businesses tirelessly to protect the French territory and our prepare for Brexit as they reorganise their value fellow citizens. Customs officers have remained chains and logistics processes. steadfast in their efforts to combat illicit trafficking, I am confident that Customs officers will rise to keep trade flowing seamlessly and drive the these challenges with strength and commitment economic competitiveness of our businesses in the service of the public interest. 4 2018 Results key figuRes (% change vs. 2017)

enfoRcement

> FINANCIAl FRAUD AND tAX EVAsION > SMUGGLeD tobaCCo €49.2m in criminal assets seized or identifi ed by the national customs Judicial 16,171 Department (snDJ), of which €48.8m in france and citations €400,000 abroad (14,048 en 2017) (+15.1%) 241.1 tons

> narCotiCS seized Stop in france (+1. 2%) DrUGS

> natUraL heritaGe > weaponS 49.1 tons 97.4 tons seized seized abroad based on in france and in intelligence provided international waters by french customs (+47.4%) (+45.3%) 433 including including citations issued 1,363 for violations of endangered fi rearms plant and animal species legislation seized (+42.3%) 12.2 tons 63.9 tons 16.1 tons 33 tons (-10.5%) of cocaine of cannabis of cocaine of cannabis (+32.6%) (+38.6%) (+6.6%) (+77.4%) > CoUnterFeitS > ConSUMer proteCtion 5.4m 6.7m counterfeit toys inspected items seized (+4.7%) (-35.7%) 5

customs cleaRance and taXation economic actiVities 2’32’’ average time that goods are €84bn immobilised collected (13 minutes in 2004) (+57%)

> CUStoMS CertiFiCation 39 85% cents, customs user the cost of collecting 1,673 €100 in customs aeOs* satisfaction rate duties and taxes (+5.6%)

> tAX EVAsION

2,412 313.4m businesses in taxes and provided with duties reassessed n°2 in advice by French (+16.7%) Customs’ Economic * Authorised Economic Operator Action Centres

human ResouRces

87% overall rate 16,947 of paperless customs clearance fte (full-time equivalent positions as at 31 December 2018) * Opérateur Économique Agréé Agréé Économique Opérateur * (3 rang européen) rang e 6 2018 Results highlights

MarCH • gérald darmanin travels to to sign a deal to strengthen cooperation in combating tobacco smuggling • French Customs participate in the sitl transport & logistics innovation Week trade show jaNuary • The National Customs Judicial Department (snDJ) and the May • The Hendaye Customs unit fi nds gendarmerie dismantle a cigarette €260,000 concealed in a car driving smuggling ring in . 2.4 tons of the nice customs coast guard to cigarettes and €75,000 in small patrol boat rescues 71 people in the notes are seized mediterranean as part of an operation Fréjus Customs offi cers intercept for frontex 2 tons of smuggled cigarettes in two archaeological looting: the polish vehicles customs unit seizes • Sète Customs offi cials intercept an 1,000 ancient artefacts with the attempt to illegally export 24.6 tons • The World Customs Organisation assistance of the regional cultural of automotive waste to togo chooses offi cial slogan for 2018: Aff airs Directorate • Customs offi cials detect «a secure business environment for 1 ton of cannabis in a shipload of economic development» oranges. four tons of citrus fruits are donated to the «les Restos du cœur» charity

FeBruary aPrIl • French Customs participates in the salon des entrepreneurs trade show • Customs offi cers seize • Boulogne-sur-Mer Customs offi cers 4 tons of cannabis in two weeks uncover 500 weapons, 100 kg of • gérald darmanin travels to le ammunition and explosives havre to brief the customs unit and juNe operators on the various Brexit • gérald darmanin signs a A fi rst in France: the national memorandum of understanding scenarios directorate for customs with the french confederation of clubs for authorised economic intelligence and investigations tobacconists for the transformation operators open in and (dnRed) dismantles «Black Hand», of the network of tobacconists besançon one of the largest illegal dark web • Marne-la-Vallée Customs offi cers marketplaces selling drugs, weapons uncover a painting by edgar degas, «les and fake documents choristes», which had been stolen from the • French Customs and the European cantini museum in in 2009 Anti-Fraud Offi ce (OLAF) present the 24 athletes from the france results of operation octopus ii, douane team compete in the Winter which involved gathering intelligence to olympic and paralympic games in identify criminal networks. pyeongchang seizure of 500,000 counterfeit items 7

july NOVEMBer • 3rd Speed Meeting for businesses • French Customs takes part in the with the Entreprise du patrimoine Made in France trade fair vivant (EPV) label abroad • The Lyon Customs Judicial unit French Customs officers march dismantles an extensive VAT fraud down the Champs-Elysées on 14 July ring in the car retailing industry (Bastille Day). French Customs will 311 protected reptiles are seized now take part each year in the in Arras in an operation involving the national parade SEPTEMBer National Game and Wildlife Agency, the • Dunkirk Customs officers seize Département Directorate for Citizen/ 10 tons of smuggled cigarettes Customs officers from the Le Havre Consumer Protection and Veterinary 752 kg of cocaine found in a container from Dakar targeting unit find Services and French Customs hidden in a container in a rip-off case • Yannick Borel, a fencer for the • The Club for Authorised Fighting fraud : the France Douane team, becomes world A seminar on « Economic Operators opens in the end of the taboo champion in Wuxi, China », is held at Bercy greater region while the bill on combating tax fraud 1.5 tons of cocaine • The Lyon Customs unit uncovers • is was being considered by the French €544,780 in small notes (24,500 intercepted by the Saint-Martin parliament Customs vessel notes)

august

• The French Act for a trust-based society (ESSOC) is published in the Official Journal december A joint operation with the National OCTOBer • Galeries Lafayette Haussmann is Criminal Investigation Department leads • French Customs takes part in the approved as a VAT refund operator to 5 tons of counterfeit goods being BPI Inno Génération entrepreneurial • Dunkirk Customs officers and the seized in the Paris region event at AccorHotels Arena at Bercy DNRED seize 21 tons of shisha • Gérald Darmanin congratulates tobacco Customs investigators on seizing «Business Café» event in Paris 11 tons of smuggled shisha on Brexit tobacco • The «Brexit : Customs clearance made easy» information campaign is launched to help operators prepare for Brexit • The French Anti-Fraud Act is published in the Official Journal 8 2018 results

01

fighting illicit trafficking fighting illicit trafficking 9

playing a central role in the policY to coMbat tobacco trafficKing

ustoms has worked in accordance with the goals of the national tobacco control programme unveiled on 23 January 2018 by the Minister for Government Action and Public Accounts and the Minister for Solidary and Health. Following on from the Prime Minister’s policy speech of 4 July 2017, the programme spans economic, social and health policy areas and harnesses a broad range of incentives, preventive actions and repressive measures to combat traffi cking. The aim is to help our children to become Cthe fi rst generation of tobacco-free adults in 2032. To coincide with the increase in tobacco prices, Customs focused its efforts in 2018 on fi ghting all forms of traffi cking, from everyday traffi cking to large-scale cross-border traffi cking, and on transforming the role of tobacconists into local business owners.

comBating all foRms of tRafficking, Joint Customs/Police and Customs/Gendarmerie a pRioRity foR customs controls have been carried out with the authorisation of prefects, in particular targeting illicit sales of the minister for government action and cigarettes in retail outlets. public accounts has prioritised the fi ght against tobacco traffi cking. meanwhile, much tougher penalties have been introduced. customs now systematically controls have been ramped up across the recommends that prefects close down illegal entire french territory: at land borders, in ports, 16,171 retail outlets. airports and train stations, as well as in postal sorting centres and on the internet. citations fines have been increased for smuggling in (+15.1%) organised gangs (fi nes range from €50,000 All forms of traffi cking have come under to €250,000) and petty traffi cking (with fi nes increased scrutiny, with a focus on criminal of between €1,000 and €5,000) if more than organisations, small-scale traffi cking and four cartons of cigarettes are found. traveller fraud, which all attract a «zero 241.1 tolerance» policy. every type of tobacco is courts are now more systematically imposing targeted, including cigarettes, loose tobacco criminal penalties. prison sentences were handed and shisha tobacco. tons down in 2018 for the heaviest traffi cking. seized customs has increased controls in urban and the french anti-fraud act no. 2018-898 peri-urban areas to stop illicit tobacco sales by in france of 23 october 2018 reinforces the capacity of retailers and street sellers. (+1.2%) Customs to tackle tobacco traffi cking. 10 2018 Results fighting illicit trafficking

the french general tax code now states that all individuals carrying more than 800 cigarettes, 400 cigarillos1, 200 cigars or 1 kilogram of smoking tobacco will be identifi ed as «holding manufactured tobacco products for commercial purposes». fines for illegally manufacturing, holding, selling or carrying tobacco have been doubled to between €1,000 and €5,000. internet access providers and web hosting companies are now required to notify the public that it is a criminal off ence to buy tobacco on the internet.

In practical terms, Customs offi cers will connect to a database to verify the traceability of each €13.4m packet of cigarettes and easily identify any smuggled tobacco. penalties Customs offi cers inspecting truck shipments related to tobacco can instantly check whether excise duties have been paid and will either let the vehicle pass through customs or seize any smuggled goods.

Joining forces with andorra to combat illicit tobacco traffi cking

A letter of intent was signed by Gérald Darmanin and antoni marti, andorra’s prime minister, on 16 march 2018 to reinforce cooperation between france and the principality of andorra in combating cross-border fraud, in particular lastly, to combat tobacco smuggling and tobacco smuggling. counterfeit tobacco, a system designed to ensure the traceability and security of the tobacco tobacco the signing coincided with france’s new product supply chain will be introduced on 20 stronger public health policy, which included a may 2019, in accordance with eu law. smuggling €1 increase in the price of a packet of cigarettes in 2018, customs started to prepare for the on 1 march 2018. implementation of this new track and trace amount of fi nes system for cigarettes and loose tobacco. under the agreement, which came into force on for seizures 1 april 2018, it is now easier to send information, carry out controls and surveillance operations, Each packet of cigarettes will have fi ve identifi cation and issue citations. markings similar to those used on bank notes. • under 1 kg: x 3 it also provided for joint surveillance patrols and controls starting on 1 april 2018. in addition to those security features, a unique • 1 - 10 kg: x 2.5 identifi er will be marked on all packets of tobacco products to guarantee traceability. • 10 - 50 kg: x 2 1- Cigars weighing a maximum of 3 grams each 11

Dunkirk: 21 tons of shisha tobacco smuggled

As part of an investigation conducted by the National Directorate for Customs Intelligence and Investigations (DNRED) into the illicit flow of shisha tobacco in France, Customs seized 21 tons of smuggled shisha tobacco after a routine inspection of a container from Dakar.

On 12 December, Customs officers intercepted a container labelled as a shipment of traditional wooden furniture from Dakar.

An inspection of the container soon revealed a large number of boxes full of packets of shisha tobacco. Officers counted 20.98 tons of smuggled shisha tobacco with an estimated street value of more than €3.1 million.

The case illustrates the full involvement of Customs in combating tobacco smuggling and dismantling the criminal organisations involved in trafficking.

border In 2018, French Customs carried out 1,788 conducting with our partners under a Europol3 with seizures along the border with Andorra, equivalent operation led by French Customs. to 10.6 tons of smuggled tobacco. andorra Shisha tobacco smuggling is a form of tax Trafficking on the Internet : DNRED 2 dismantles evasion as smugglers avoid paying excise tobacco sales ring on Facebook duties and VAT. 1,788 Shisha tobacco smuggling also lowers the After a months-long investigation, Customs revenue of the shisha bars where shisha is citations officers intercepted a vehicle returning from the sold and creates unfair competition in relation Principality of Andorra on the night of Tuesday, to tobacconists. (+32.5%) 2 October. On 13 September, Customs officers i.e. Two individuals, one of whom was the ringleader, intercepted a vehicle from Portugal carrying were taken into custody and 960 kilograms of 600 kilograms of shisha tobacco. shisha tobacco and €2,700 in cash were seized. 10.6 tons That same day, Customs and police officers After a preliminary investigation by the seized 146 kilograms of shisha tobacco during of tobacco Court of First Instance, the National Customs a scheduled inspection of a shisha bar in Judicial Department (SNDJ) took over the northern Marseille. seized investigation. Four people suspected of being the ringleaders were charged and placed on Cyberdouane has further strengthened its (+17.8%) probation. investigative powers to launch operations. This led to 1.2 tons of shisha tobacco being Shisha tobacco in the spotlight seized in Marseille in March and nearly 1 ton in Nantes in October. In line with the priority of combating the illicit 75.5 tons trade in tobacco products, Customs has All told, 75.5 tons of shisha tobacco was seized developed a programme to specifically target by Customs in 2018. of sisha shisha tobacco.

tobacco This is a Europe-wide programme we are 3- The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation facilitaties the exchange of information between national law enforcement agencies in the areas of narcotics, terrorism, seized 2- National Directorate for Customs Intelligence and Investigations international crime and paedophile networks in the EU 12 2018 results fighting illicit trafficking

A NEW MEMORANDUM OF UNDERS- The agreement boosts support for the most TANDING IS SIGNED TO SUPPORT vulnerable tobacconists, particularly in rural THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE areas, and creates an economic safety net NETWORK OF TOBACCONISTS FROM for tobacconists whose revenue is projected 2018 TO 2021 to decline by more than 15%.

Gérald Darmanin, the Minister for Government The main objective of the new agreement is to Action and Public Accounts, and Philippe Coy, support tobacconists facing huge changes to the Chairman of the French Confederation their business model and help them to transition of Tobacconists, signed a memorandum of to a new status as a local business owner. understanding on 2 February 2018 for the transformation of the network of tobacconists A temporary transformation fund worth covering the 2018-2021 period. €20 million annually has been set up to assist tobacconists with their business as they rely less The agreement is in line with the government’s on tobacco sales and move to other products. public health policy, which involves staged tobacco price increases so as to raise the price of a packet of cigarettes to €10 in late 2020. 13

Guiana. The number of drug traffi ckers taken into pRotecting custody has increased by 55% in three years. With criminal organisations turning massively to france and its citiZens drug traffi ckers, Customs has taken the off ensive and implemented a special interception strategy froM trafficKing on three levels: as travellers arrive in , in the airports they pass through and in the cities of their destination.

In addition, traffi cking of prescription drugs misused as narcotics is becoming increasingly widespread. some of these medicines, such as fentanyl4 and its derivatives, are the subject of increased monitoring. customs has set up an inter-ministerial network to issue alerts and monitor and coordinate the fi ght against this ustoms is constantly adapting its response to new practices by new type of traffi cking. criminal organisations in a bid to combat smuggling and take up the persistently tackling the trade in counterfeit goods fi ght against traffi cking of narcotics, tobacco, counterfeit goods and C illicit fi nancial fl ows. counterfeiting is becoming increasingly widespread and has been boosted by the explosion of e-commerce.

according to the oecD, imports of counterfeit goods are estimated to account for up to 2.5% of global imports. Counterfeiting aff ects every dealing With constantly changing sector of the economy, including food, automotive tRends in fRaud parts, cosmetics, medicines and electronics. customs has been active in stopping the sale customs remains mobilised in the fi ght against new forms of fraud and increasingly creative criminal organisations

narCotiCS customs carried out a massive operation to dismantle one of the largest illegal french-speaking marketplaces on the darkweb, known as « black hand ». the forum was selling illicit products 97.4 tons and services, including narcotics, weapons, fake documents and stolen bank details. other seized major seizures have been conducted by the cyberdouane unit on the internet, including of in France a 3D-printed weapon. AND IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS fighting narcotics traffi cking (+47.4%) the sharp increase in cocaine production in INCLUDING : Colombia since 2016 has led to higher traffi cking Customs in fl ows to Europe. Seizures of cocaine arriving in the battle containers have surged over the past two years. against cocaine • 12.2 t of cocaine smuggling (+32.6%) in 2018, there was also a rise in cocaine smuggled • 63.9 t of cannabis into and the european (+38.6%) union by travellers from suriname, via french 4- Opioid analgesic, 100 times more powerful than morphine 1214 2018 Results fighting illicit trafficking

agencies and eu member countries in this respect. the DF32 Within europol, french « SeUDre » customs works alongside patrol vessel the ocrgDf5 to coordinate the operational action plan for the fi ght against the fi nancing of criminal activity and money laundering and for criminal asset recovery.

protecting europe’s external borders: customs involved in frontex operations

speaking at the sorbonne university in september 2017, the president announced france’s support for an eu border guard corps and stronger powers for frontex, the european of fake goods over the internet for several years border and coast guard agency. in an eff ort to put an end to this form of fraud, which seriously undermines legal retail channels. under frontex-led operations, customs mobilised several of its airborne and maritime resources countering illicit fi nancial fl ows and money between may and December 2018, including laundering a beechcraft aircraft in kalamata, greece, a land-based unit in chios, greece, the nice customs has been engaged in the battle coast guard patrol boat in trapani, and against illicit fi nancial fl ows for a long time. Its the « Jean-françois Deniau » customs coast actions include identifying fi nancial criminals 11,256 guard patrol vessel. and tracking, intercepting and seizing fraudulent citations sums of money. for counterfeit goods the « Jean-françois Deniau » carried out daily the warning signs of money laundering include in 2018 patrols in chios, greece near the maritime border failure to declare capital and customs-related with turkey. it performed seven marine rescue money laundering. operations involving 283 migrants travelling customs cooperates with french law enforcement from turkey.

ReneWing methods and ResouRces to comBat fRaud

More than 61,000 counterfeit new airborne and maritime resources go items seized into service

on 5 July 2018, a joint operation in the new coast guard patrol boats started operations greater paris region between Customs, in Nice, Bastia, Sète and Cherbourg in 2018, along with the basse-terre inshore patrol vessel the police and the ile-de-France regional € 49.2m and a beechcraft surmar6 in the french antilles. and interdepartmental Directorate for in criminal infrastructure and planning resulted in the assets seizure of 61,534 fake goods (30 different 5- Central Offi ce for the Repression of Serious Financial Crime seized or identifi ed by brands, including luxury watches, handbags 6- Maritime surveillance - long-range aircraft: 6 hours airborne and 40,000 Lacoste-branded articles). the national customs at 77 to 246 knots, equipped for 3 or 4 people. This aircraft will Judicial Department replace the current twin-engine F406. It has extensive detection capabilities and superior aeronautical performance with a range (snDJ) of around 1,000 nautical miles 15

In 2018, there were 6,945 exchanges of Pre-deployment of the aircraft enabled Antilles- information with our partners abroad (mutual French Guiana coast guard personnel to become administrative assistance, international letters familiar with the SIAM interconnected information of request, customs information requests, etc.). and communications system, which provides a Customs attachés also worked alongside the quick summary of information on vessels and DNRED to make 70 controlled deliveries of assists with carrying out operations thanks to banned products (mainly narcotics) internationally an instant messaging service. in an attempt to dismantle criminal networks. 1,150 Customs was also involved in a large number Data mining: a new resource of international anti-fraud operations in France cases of and abroad in 2018. In 2016, Customs started looking at ways to improve how it uses its electronic data in order mutual Examples include the DNRED-led Operation to fight all types of fraud more efficiently. Pangea XI supported by INTERPOL and the assistance World Customs Organisation and Operation It set up the Risk Analysis and Targeting Hazeldonk (“star”), carried out with Belgium and Department (SARC) to centralise risk analysis with Spain the Netherlands to combat drug trafficking by rail. processes and develop new techniques to find anomalies among the millions of declarations in 2018 Another operation was Ailes Africaines V, it processes which may indicate fraudulent (1,101 in 2017) an inter-ministerial operation coordinated by behaviour. the regional Customs Customs harnesses data mining, which involves attaché in Dakar to stop using statistical and econometric methods to a smuggling ring using analyse large datasets in order to identify new light aircraft. patterns of fraud and detect weak signals. The haul comprised 28 seizures of narcotics, While data mining has been used in a range including 472 kilograms of areas to fight fraud, Customs has achieved of khat, 27 kilograms outstanding results in customs clearance of cocaine, 28 procedures, particularly when the value of kilograms of heroin goods has been under-declared. Customs duty and 30 kilograms of is calculated on the basis of declared value. ephedrine. Funded by the Inter-ministerial A special fraud detection model was trialled Mission for Combating in 2018 by 20 regional directorates. Relevant Drugs and Addictive targeting has enabled us to uncover nearly Behaviours (MILDECA), €1 million in duties and taxes avoided. This the operation brought figure does not include any investigations together 16 countries currently ongoing. from Central Africa and West Africa alongside Customs has achieved a high level of relevant France. targeting (almost 50%) because it has implemented a workflow which combines powerful data science resources with expert analysis of results by Customs specialists to identify major cases of fraud. Operation «Pascal Atlantique»

International cooperation initiatives Under this joint operation, Spanish and French customs authorities patrolled the Spanish and French coastlines to check ships suspected of being involved in organised crime, Supported by a network of 18 Customs attachés especially drug trafficking. More than 19 tons of cannabis and 11 tons of cocaine were covering 86 countries, French Customs is seized in 2018 as part of joint French-Spanish operations. recognised internationally for its actions to combat trafficking. 16 2018 results

02

promoting business competitiveness promoting business competitiveness 17

making a success of brexit and building up trust with businesses

ur business advisory services contribute to ensuring a fair marketplace in the same way as our controls help to protect the French territory and consumers. Maintaining a balance is an ongoing goal for Customs. OIn 2018, the ESSOC Act for a trust-based society came into effect, granting businesses new rights. Customs has also been making preparations for a huge challenge – the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union. the Business Advisory Units within Customs stepped up initiatives and organised a series of Brexit meetings. Each year, these units provide personalised advice to more than 2,000 businesses throughout French regions. preparing for BREXIT €32.7bn The aim was to warn businesses about the Customs has been working to keep trade impact of Brexit and advise them on ways of flowing between France and the UK in exports preparing for Brexit.

On 23 June 2016, a majority of UK citizens to the Customs’ message in 2018 was «Get ready voted to leave the European Union. This is now for Brexit – Don’t delay !» . known as Brexit. United-Kingdom in 2018 The «Brexit : Customs clearance made easy» The vote marks a return to a third-country campaign was launched in October 2018 to border with the UK and to customs procedures provide information on customs procedures for for crossing the border. importing and exporting to small and medium- sized enterprises and industries which had Some 30,000 businesses ship goods from €20.7bn previously only traded with the EU and were France to the UK each year and 70,000 UK not familiar with lodging customs declarations. operators export to France. Re-establishing in imports physical borders between the two countries The events organised by Customs involved and resuming customs procedures will have from the other government departments so as to reach a a huge impact on doing business. very broad public. These included prefects, the

United-Kingdom Directorate General for Enterprise, the Directorate In 2018, the 40 Economic Action Centres and in 2018 General of the Treasury and the Directorate 18 2018 Results pRomoting business competitiveness

fl owing smoothly.

More inForMation aboUt breXit the it solution was developed in close cooperation with the channel tunnel operator and the ferry • French government website: brexit.gouv.fr companies to address the specifi c features of • the douane.gouv.fr website is updated regularly (FaQs) the channel crossing point in the hauts-de- france region. • email address for brexit queries: [email protected] nances.gouv.fr these include a very short crossing time, a very • Customs helpline for individuals and businesses: 0 811 20 44 44 high rotation frequency and a high volume of • business Café events and chat rooms truck traffi c. • Douane Magazine no. 12, January 2019 – a special issue on brexit The technical specifi cations were sent to all operators and posted on the french customs website to allow operators to develop fully compatible applications. general for food, in addition to our partners abroad (business france, chambers of commerce in addition to working with channel crossing and industry and professional associations). operators, customs teamed up with rail (eurostar services) and airport operators. customs has laid the foundations in preparation for the new third-country human resources match the magnitude border together with the infrastructure of the challenge operators which will be affected by Brexit. 38 customs will be hiring an additional 700 offi cers to prepare successfully for brexit, customs set over the 2018-2020 period to eff ectively up a project team with a steering committee Brexit meetings manage the impact of brexit. comprising members of decentralised departments BETWEEN and the Directorate general. CUSTOMS AND BUSINESSES a proactive training programme was developed it developed an it solution called «smart Border» FROM OCTOBER TO in spring 2018 to organise training for the 700 that involves anticipating customs procedures new recruits in a very short timeframe and and automating the channel crossing process DECEMBER 2018 provide extra training to offi cers with new job for the more than 4 million trucks that use the descriptions. border each year. staff assigned to customs offi ces will the truck’s number plate is automatically linked 700 process customs declarations, i.e. clearance to the customs declaration for the shipment. and transit procedures, and handle a sharp the system will only target goods for which an new «Brexit» hires increase in activity because customs clearance inspection is required in order to keep traffi c BETWEEN 2018 AND 2020 was not previously required.

We’re at the heart of the busiest transport hub with the uK. We have to make sure that Brexit does not have any adverse effects on the smooth fl ow of trade with the eu. the business model of local cross-Channel operators is also at stake here. In Calais, more than 5,000 trucks take the 50 ferry rotations each day.

We have been working with as many operators as possible over the past year to prepare for the Brexit deadline and avoid any of the blockages that people are so worried about.

éRic meunieR french customs inter-regional Director for hauts-De-france region 19

Brexit is a huge challenge for UK customs authorities. First, it involves cooperation between Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the UK Border Force (UKBF), which is responsible for border control operations and is part of the Home Office. Second, there’s the problem of re-writing the entire regulatory framework for customs and adjusting infrastructure. In my role as Customs attaché, I constantly liaise with French Customs, advise the French ambassador to the UK and assist economic operators with their preparations. After Brexit, it is essential for us to maintain and even deepen our bilateral relationship. hervé mathevet, french CUSTOMS ATTACHÉ TO LONDON

Units involved in surveillance and anti- ESSOC act CUSTOMS GIVES BUSINESSES NEW fraud operations will be in charge of air and RIGHTS UNDER ESSOC ACT maritime border crossing points (BCP) used by UK travellers. There will be a sharp increase in The ESSOC Act for a trust-based society of 10 border traffic due to : 14 August 2018 strengthens and deepens trust between Customs and economic operators • tougher migrant controls ; new indicators acting in good faith. It calls for a new system of government audits and reviews. • the re-introduction of customs procedures for TO MEASURE THE travellers to and from the UK and the return EFFECTIVENESS OF THE ACT of duty free entitlements for UK travellers To advise operators of the changes quickly, passing through exit points as they leave Customs hosted a range of events to present France for the UK. the new system and also made use of social 160 media. The Act aims to reinforce the legal rights of managers economic operators and outlines the trust-based IN REGIONAL FRANCE relationship between Customs and operators TRAINED IN THE RIGHT in accordance with three main notions. TO MAKE A MISTAKE The right to make a mistake is the Act’s SINCE 2018 flagship measure and is aimed at users who unintentionally make a mistake in their customs declaration for the first time and who correct that mis