Programmes and Projects

International Programmes and Projects

Instrument for financial support: project implementation facility No. 10.1.3-ESFA-V-918 “Public administration entities` initiatives aimed at improving quality of services and servicing of persons” of priority 10 “Advanced public administration complying with public needs” of the programme for the European Union funds` investments in 2014-2020

The state project of the said program “Development of a single Information and Consultation Network for Customs Clients” (code 10.1.3-ESFA-V-918-01-0006) is financed by the European Social Fund.

Project activities implementation date: 31 December 2022.

690 533,81EUR has been allocated for the project.

The purpose of the project is to improve the provision of information and consultation services to customs clients by developing and implementing within the customs system a unified information and consultation model.

Project content: 

- the organizational model for unified and correct information and consultation of persons will be developed and implemented; the model for the structure of information / consultation material (“Knowledge Tree”) and the provided information will be developed; the content of the “Knowledge tree” according to the field of customs activities will be completed; methodological documentation will be prepared; the investigation (survey) of the needs of customs clients in the areas of information and consultation will be conducted; and specialized trainings for officers providing information and consultations to persons will be delivered. It has been planned that customs clients will be familiarized with the project results;

- a unified information and consultation information system was created and implemented, an organizational unit ensuring the provision of customs information and consultation services was created and specialized training of customs staff was performed.

Project results: upon developing and implementing the unified and centralized organisational model for servicing persons at the Lithuanian Customs as well as measures ensuring its operation, the unified information and consultation service will be provided to persons within the customs system in application of the “single window” principle. 

 

EU Programme “Customs”

EU „Customs“ programme for cooperation in the field of customs (the ‘Programme’)

The Lithuanian Customs has been participating since 1996 in the action Programme for customs in the European Union, whose current title is “Customs”. The programme will last until 31 December 2027.

The general objective of the Programme is to support the customs union and customs authorities working together and acting as one to protect the financial and economic interests of the Union and its Member States, to ensure security and safety within the Union and to protect the Union from unfair and illegal trade, while facilitating legitimate business activity.

The specific objectives of the Programme are to support:

a) the preparation and uniform implementation of customs legislation and policy;

b) customs cooperation;

c) administrative and IT capacity building, including human competency and training, as well as the development and operation of European electronic systems;

d) innovation in the area of customs policy.

Lithuanian customs staff participates in various Programme’s project groups, seminars, working visits, training, monitoring visits, expert teams and other activities proposed by national administrations or the European Commission.

 

Lithuanian Customs participate in EU programme “Customs 2020” tool Customs Eastern and South-Eastern Land Border Expert Team (CELBET) which is an initiative of 11 EU Member States: Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece; working under the coordination of DG TAXUD.

CELBET phase 1 was implemented during 18 months, starting on 1 September, 2016.

The objective of CELBET 1 was to strengthen operational co-operation, share knowledge and experience, identify best practices, find synergies, make proposals based on practical experience  and submitting them to relevant fora (i.e. CELBET plenary meetings, relevant Customs 2020 Programme project groups and CELBET Steering Committee, and relevant committees). Pooling of capacity and resources of Member States was above all driven by the potential of lowering operating costs and improving efficiency at EU level.

CELBET 1 was a success. The commitment of the senior management of the participating Member States from the very beginning and the extensive work and contribution from the team leaders and experts made it possible to achieve the results foreseen in CELBET business case and implementation plan in time. Furthermore, quite a number of CELBET activities and outcomes will be continued and tested in CELBET 2. Short overview of the results.

Newsletter No 1. March 2018 

 

CELBET phase 2 

CELBET 2 enabled the customs administrations of participating Member States – building on the results of the CELBET 1 expert team – to deal more intensively with the Union’s Eastern and South-Eastern land border management issues and further to perform operational tasks in the interest of the other Member States and of the Union. With a comprehensive and consistent approach, the expert team aimed at the harmonisation of customs control activities and working methods, detection technology and training. The expert team provided expertise and made suggestions based on practical experience, operational co-operation and results achieved for further improvement of the operational management of the Union’s Eastern and South Eastern land border.

CELBET 2 implemented during 24 months, starting on 16 April, 2018.

Scope and business objectives of CELBET 2.

Newsletter No 2 (June 2018), No 3 (November 2018), No 4 (May 2019), No 5 (November 2019) and No 6 (April 2020).

CELBET 2 has successfully come to an end. All together more than 400 people from CELBET Member States were involved in different activities of the project. By sharing their experience at their working places, they act as heralds for CELBET. Meeting the needs of front-line officers remains as our ambition in CELBET 3.

All activities were running according to the Implementation Plan until the break of COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Fortunately, the pandemic did not cause major harm to CELBET 2 work itself as we were in the end of the project and almost all deliverables were already finalised or close to finalisation. Short overview of the results.

 

CELBET phase 3

CELBET3 will run for 48 months starting on 31 May 2020.

The project has been successful and its outcomes have been acknowledged both by the Commission and the Member States. CELBET3 will take the best activities and outcomes from the current project and will continue implementing and developing them further, e.g. evaluation of the BCPs, train the trainers, joint activities, harmonisation of risk management, providing assistance for Member States in customs technology area and continue enhancing cooperation with neighbouring third countries. In addition, new elements will be added in CELBET 3 like targeted missions for providing support for cooperation in equipment area, customs control and risk area, for improvement of inter-agency cooperation, etc.

The aim of CELBET 3 is to enable high quality customs control at the EU Eastern and South-Eastern land border through co-operation and networks.

Compared to the previous phase, CELBET3 will have a new activity - The Feasibility study on the future of CELBET. The study will independently catch the most essential elements of the activities of each team, analyse their existing challenges and recommend solutions for future collaboration for mid-term (e.g. platform-like for several years, etc.) and long-term, e.g. in the framework of the permanent structure.

More information about CELBET can be found here.

Information on CELBET can be accessed via Twitter account @Celbet3.

 

 

Hercule III programme of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)

The Customs Department under the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania participates as a counterpart in the implementation of the project “Anti-Cigarette Smuggling Staff Exchange Program (786245 - ACSSEP)“ under the Hercule III Programme “Training, Conference & Staff Exchange”. The main project implementing authority is the National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary. Project counterparts are the Customs administrations of Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.  

The project is intended to share best practices in the field of control methods (in particular, of the inspection of cars) in fighting against cigarette smuggling at the EU external border. 

In order to prevent fraud, corruption and other illegal activities affecting the financial interests of the Union, the Customs Department under the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania implements the Project under Hercule III program “Strengthening of operational and technical capacities of the Lithuanian customs to detect smuggled goods, in particular cigarettes”. The aim of this project is the acquisition and installation of a high power stationary x-ray system at the Šalčininkai road post, which is located on the border with the Republic of Belarus.

The high power x-ray system acquired during this project will enable the Lithuanian customs to ensure high-level national security, prevent illegal movement of goods crossing the Lithuanian border and create a better environment for business to carry out customs formalities.

  

Horizon 2020, PEN-CP   

The European Union is a global leader in many technologies, but it faces increasing competition from traditional powers and emerging economies alike. Horizon 2020 is a key pillar of Innovation Union, a Europe 2020 flagship initiative aimed at enhancing Europe's global competitiveness.

For the first time, Horizon 2020 (H2020) brings together all EU research and innovation funding under a single programme. It focuses more than ever on turning scientific breakthroughs into innovative products and services that provide business opportunities and change people’s lives for the better. At the same time it drastically cuts red tape, with simplification of rules and procedures to attract more top researchers and a broader range of innovative businesses. Horizon 2020 provides direct stimulus to the economy and secures science and technology base and industrial competitiveness for the future, promising a smarter, more sustainable and more inclusive society. More information about the H2020 is available here.

What is the H2020?

Programme H2020 in Lithuania.

Lithuanian Customs together with 16 partners, 13 customs and 4 research associations, agreed to participate in action “Pan-European Network of Customs Practitioners” (PEN-CP).

The duration of the PEN-CP will be 77 month as of 1 September 2018 after extension of the project.

The maximum grant amount of the PEN-CP is EUR 3 496 253.13.

The vision of the PEN-CP project is to establish a customs practitioner network which facilitates translating customs security research and innovation ideas and requirements into scalable, viable solutions, technologies and process improvement that would help European customs administrations to overcome the challenges of the contemporary customs security. The PEN-CP partners will pursue four main objectives of this five-year H2020 project:

1. Derive and articulate common needs for customs security research, innovation and standardization;

2. Accelerate and coordinate efficient uptake of customs security innovations and related investments;

3. Build tangible synergies and interoperability with existing European, global and national networks of security practitioners;

4. Ensure long-term sustainability and success of the PEN-CP customs practitioner network.

More information about the PEN-CP is available here.

PEN-CP in a nutshell.

PEN-CP Magazine issues: No 1No 2No 3No 4No 5No 6No 7No 8No 9No 10No 11No 12No 13No 14No 15No 16 and No 17.

PEN-CP project in the World Customs Organization‘s Magazine (p. 69-71).

Observatory on Green Customs and other relevant information. 

Pod casts regarding various Customs maters on Pen-CastYoutube and even Spotify.

Last updated: 15-07-2024