Customs: action programme Customs 2007, 2003-2007

To present a report from the Commission on the mid-term evaluation of the Customs 2007 programme.

The total budget foreseen for the Programme is EUR 165.550 million, including the C2007 external budget line, for the period from 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2007. Around 85% of this budget was earmarked for IT systems and the remaining 15% for joint actions (benchmarking, exchanges of officials, seminars, workshops and project groups, training activities etc.).

This evaluation covers the results and impacts of actions financed and organised by the Customs 2007 Programme from March 2003 to 30 March 2005; it also addresses the impacts of actions financed at national level where they constitute a logical extension of the Customs 2007 Programme.

It examines the extent to which the objectives of the Programme were achieved (effectiveness) at a reasonable cost (efficiency). It also examines whether the objectives of the Programme still correspond to the needs of national administrations and economic operators (relevance).

Overall, the interim evaluation has shown satisfaction with the Customs 2007 Programme (C2007). In terms of relevance, C2007 objectives, priorities and content are seen by stakeholders as being highly relevant to the needs of the national administrations of participating countries (PCs) and as essential to operating the EU customs union. Regarding C2007’s focus there is general consensus that C2007 should continue covering Community safety and security issues and a better coordination between first and third pillar instruments would be needed in order to avoid duplication of work and to ensure a better communication. C2007 is also becoming more strategic in the eyes of the PCs and the majority of PCs have links between C2007‘s objectives and their national business plans and strategies.

The overall conclusion of this evaluation is that there is general satisfaction with the effectiveness and efficiency of the Programme. This seems to be confirmed by the quantitative data gathered during this evaluation. Moreover, the assessment is that the objectives of the programme still correspond to the needs of the addressees.

Under these circumstances, the Commission departments intend to continue to prepare a proposal for a successor programme, taking into account the conclusions and recommendations of the evaluation report within the existing legal and budgetary framework.