Stronger cross-border cooperation to combat smuggling

Over 70 thousand counterfeit goods were seized during a major Joint Customs Operation (JCO) code-named “ERMIS”. The Operation focused on postal and courier mail traffic, to identify fake products shipped through small consignments. Joint Customs Operation helped to avoid losses to the EU’s and the member states’ budgets in the form of evaded customs duties and taxes.

 

JCO ERMIS was carried-out by the Greek Customs Administration and the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) in March 2014; the operation also involved customs experts from the Commission, some member states, FYROM, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey. The results of this operation were unveiled at a debriefing meeting in Athens and are published across Europe.

 

The mission of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) is threefold: it protects the financial interests of the European Union by investigating fraud, corruption and any other illegal activities; it detects and investigates serious matters relating to the discharge of professional duties by members and staff of the EU institutions and bodies that could result in disciplinary or criminal proceedings; and it supports the EU institutions, in particular the European Commission, in the development and implementation of anti-fraud legislation and policies.

 

http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/legislation/?doc=93728