EU budget: Boosting cooperation between tax and customs authorities for a safer and more prosperous EU

States better and more efficient. The new Customs Programme will help put in place a modern Customs Union which puts the interests of EU business and citizens at its heart, while the Fiscalis Programme will support cooperation between Member States’ tax administrations and better contribute to the fight against tax fraud, tax evasion and tax avoidance.

Continued funding of these programmes will help the EU to progress in offering businesses unfettered and easy access to the EU’s Single Market so that trade can flourish, protect citizens from dangerous goods entering the Union at our external borders and ensure that Member States are equipped to fight tax avoidance and tax evasion. Pierre Moscovici, Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, said: “Protecting the European Union’s customs territory and implementing our common rules on taxation require strong cooperation between the relevant national authorities. Our new Customs and Fiscalis programmes will help to make that happen. At minimal cost, they provide a true European added value, offering unprecedented advantages to Member States’ tax and customs authorities as they work together in the interests of our citizens and businesses.” The Commission is proposing a continued financial commitment of €950 million for the EU’s customs programme and €270 million for the EU’s Fiscalis programme, representing just 0.07% and 0.02% of the next EU budget respectively for programmes with a big added value for the EU. A full press release and MEMO are available online, while the legislative proposals and factsheets are available here.