UNITED NATIONS Konstantin Glukhenkiy TIR Secretary United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Regional TIR Seminar (Tunis, 3 and 4 June 2009) Customs control measures in the framework of the TIR Convention

UNECE 2 Regional TIR Seminar, Tunis, 3-4 June 2009 MUTUAL RECOGNITION OF CUSTOMS CONTROL MEASURES Principle: Customs control measures at departure are recognized by countries en route and of destination Consequences: Sealed load compartments (containers) are not subject to examination at Customs offices en route, except for special cases Customs controls at the office of departure plays a crucial role, as the completion of the whole TIR transport depends on it

UNECE 3 Regional TIR Seminar, Tunis, 3-4 June 2009 ROLE OF OFFICE OF DEPARTURE In case of several vehicles (containers) – take a decision on the number of TIR Carnets Check the authenticity of the TIR Carnet and its expiry date Check boxes filled-in by the association and transport operator Verify that the particulars in the goods manifest correspond to other accompanying documents (e.g. export declaration). Proceed with physical examination, if required Check the condition of the road vehicle (container) Check the certificate of approval

UNECE 4 Regional TIR Seminar, Tunis, 3-4 June 2009 ROLE OF OFFICE OF DEPARTURE (contd) Affix Customs seals Prescribe the Customs office of exit and time-limit (optional) Fill-in the relevant boxes in the TIR Carnet Register the TIR Carnet in the Customs ledger Detach voucher No.1 and return the TIR Carnet to the transport operator Send an advance message to the office of exit (if appropriate)

UNECE 5 Regional TIR Seminar, Tunis, 3-4 June 2009 CUSTOMS CONTROL MEASURES Control of documents: TIR Carnet Certificate of approval Data from other available documents Checks of the load compartment (container), affixing or checking Customs seals Inspection of the goods Fixing an itinerary and/or time-limit Customs escort Exclusion of infringers from the TIR regime (Annex 9 – domestic operators and Article 38 – foreign persons) Note: Customs controls should apply selectively, on the basis of risk assessment

UNECE 6 Regional TIR Seminar, Tunis, 3-4 June 2009 APPROVAL OF ROAD VEHICLES (CONTAINERS) Basic principles Goods cannot be removed from or introduced into the sealed part of the vehicle or container without leaving obvious traces of tampering or without breaking the Customs seal Customs seals can be simply and effectively affixed to them There exist no concealed spaces where goods may be hidden All spaces capable of holding goods are readily accessible for Customs inspection

UNECE 7 Regional TIR Seminar, Tunis, 3-4 June 2009 APPROVAL OF ROAD VEHICLES (CONTAINERS) (contd) By competent authorities Individual approval or design type approval Road vehicles: Renewal every 2 years Containers: Approval for life

UNECE 8 Regional TIR Seminar, Tunis, 3-4 June 2009 APPROVAL OF ROAD VEHICLES (CONTAINERS) (contd) Vehicles: Approval certificate Format A3, folded in two Original to be kept on vehicle Containers: Approval plate Permanently affixed Clearly visible Adjacent to other approval plates Approval Certificate of a road vehicle for the transport of goods under Customs seal Certificate No ……………….

UNECE 9 Regional TIR Seminar, Tunis, 3-4 June 2009 EXAMINATION OF GOODS EN ROUTE May apply in exceptional cases (Articles 5 and 23) to prevent abuses, in particular, if an irregularity is suspected Customs has the right to examine all parts of the vehicle in addition to the load compartment (Article 21) Information on the new seals affixed and on the controls carried out is recorded in the TIR Carnet (Article 24)

UNECE 10 Regional TIR Seminar, Tunis, 3-4 June 2009 CUSTOMS ESCORTS May apply in exceptional cases (Article 23) Proper record should be made on the TIR Carnet indicating the reasons for escort At the carriers expenses Escort rates should be justified by the actual costs and should not represent an indirect tax for fiscal purposes Example: Customs escort in case the duties and taxes at stake exceed the guarantee limit Remark: additional guarantees are not allowed by the TIR Convention

UNITED NATIONS Konstantin Glukhenkiy TIR Secretary United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Regional TIR Seminar (Tunis, 3 and 4 June 2009) What does the TIR Convention give to Customs?

UNECE 12 Regional TIR Seminar, Tunis, 3-4 June 2009 Revenue protection – International TIR guarantee up to US$ for each road vehicle – Only one national guaranteeing association per country: no need to chase numerous guarantors – Transport operators are checked in advance for sound financial standing

UNECE 13 Regional TIR Seminar, Tunis, 3-4 June 2009 Simple and effective Customs procedures – Check the seals, stamp the TIR Carnet and let the truck go – No need to set up a national transit system – No need for a Customs transit declaration

UNECE 14 Regional TIR Seminar, Tunis, 3-4 June 2009 Vehicle regulations – Detailed technical regulations on the construction of road vehicles and containers – Approval of road vehicles in home country, prior to any TIR transports – Customs secure sealing – International expertise on new types of construction

UNECE 15 Regional TIR Seminar, Tunis, 3-4 June 2009 State-of-the-art security – Selection of reliable transport companies – Exclusion of infringers – Thorough checks at the office of departure – Secure sealing – Exchange of intelligence among Customs administrations – Compliance with the WCO Safe Framework of Standards

UNECE 16 Regional TIR Seminar, Tunis, 3-4 June 2009 International Customs assistance – Cooperation with Customs of other countries – Experience gained over 50 years of application – Numerous best practices published in the TIR Handbook – TIR website with a lot of reference and training material – United Nations TIR secretariat at your disposal

UNECE 17 Regional TIR Seminar, Tunis, 3-4 June 2009 Access to advanced IT technologies – On-line access to: International UN Databank on all authorized TIR operators (some records from 56 countries) International UN Register on Customs seals and stamps (coming soon) IRU SafeTIR system – Development of paperless system for the future (eTIR project)

UNECE 18 Regional TIR Seminar, Tunis, 3-4 June 2009 TIR Convention UNECE/TIR SECRETARIAT 8-14, Avenue de la Paix CH-1211 Geneva 10 Switzerland Phone: Fax: address:

UNECE 19 Regional TIR Seminar, Tunis, 3-4 June 2009 THANK YOU