Customs Infringements and Sanctions (EU Legal Framework)

Thursday 10th July 2014 Written Statements

[The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Nicky Morgan)]

I wish to inform the House that the Government have opted in to the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Union legal framework for customs infringements and sanctions.

This measure proposes to introduce an EU-wide set of customs infringements and associated sanctions. The objective of this directive is to improve the functioning of the single market by attempting to align better the range of infringements and sanctions imposed by member states. The directive is designed to support the recently updated Union customs code, which is the main body of EU law that sets down the rules on customs procedures and related matters and which will come into effect in 2016.