RECOMMENDATION OF THE CUSTOMS CO-OPERATION COUNCIL
CONCERNING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF LINKS
BETWEEN CUSTOMS TRANSIT SYSTEMS
(16th JUNE 1982)
THE CUSTOMS CO-OPERATION COUNCIL,
DESIRING to promote international co-operation in Customs matters,
BEARING IN MIND that the facilitation of international trade by improving the conditions under which goods in Customs transit cross frontiers is one of the objectives of such co-operation,
OBSERVING that countries or certain groups of countries apply within their territories systems of Customs transit with structures and procedures specific to each system, and that at frontiers this situation can impede the flow of goods when they move from one Customs transit system to another,
NOTING that the various Customs transit systems are based on principles and involve techniques, in particular in documentation, seals and security which are not conceptually different from each other and that there are therefore points of similarity between them that might make it possible to establish links between these Customs transit systems, for example by the mutual recognition of measures taken within the framework of another Customs transit system,
CONVINCED that establishment of such links would simplify formalities and facilitate the crossing of frontiers by goods when they move from one Customs transit system to another, thereby avoiding costly delays,
BEARING IN MIND the established co-operation between the United Nations bodies concerned and the Customs Co-operation Council, and in particular the joint effort undertaken with the Economic Commission for Europe with a view to finding solutions to the problems posed by the transfer of goods from one Customs transit system to another,
DRAWING ATTENTION to the facilitation measures included in AnnexE.1. to the international Convention on the simplification and harmonization of Customs procedures (Kyoto Convention) concerning Customs transit, in particular, its Recommended Practice 13 relating to the descriptive part of the Customs document and Recommended Practice 26 relating to the acceptance of Customs seals,
RECOMMENDS that Members of the Council and members of the United Nations Organization or its specialized agencies, and Customs or Economic Unions, should attempt, wherever it proves possible and necessary, to establish a link between the Customs transit systems in force in their respective territories and, to this end, to conclude bilateral or multilateral agreements if required for this purpose,
REQUESTS Members of the Council and members of the United Nations Organization or its specialized agencies, and Customs or Economic Unions which accept this Recommendation to notify the Secretary General of the Council of the date from which they will apply the Recommendation and of the conditions of its application. The Secretary General will transmit this information to the Customs administrations of all Members of the Council. He will also transmit it to the Customs administrations of the members of the United Nations Organization or its specialized agencies and to Customs or Economic Unions which have accepted this Recommendation.
* The Customs Co-operation Council is the official name of the World Customs Organization.