CELBET

Customs Eastern and South-Eastern Land Border Expert Team (CELBET) is an initiative of 11 EU Member States: Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece. CELBET works under the Customs 2020 programme. The main objective of the expert team is to strengthen and improve the operational co-operation using a new way of working based on real operational co-ordination, deeper sharing of information and pooling of human resources and thus contributing to the implementation of common customs legislation and policy. The Expert Team uses work done by various project groups and elaborates these outcomes further to achieve synergy between different activities at the regional level. The expert team, working under the supervision of DG TAXUD, provides expertise and makes proposals based on practical experience of operational co-ordination and results achieved for further improvement of the operational management of EU Eastern and South-Eastern land border. More specifically, the expert team provides solutions for better targeting of risks, uniform performace measurement standards, flexible use and sharing of resources, training of customs officers, interaction and coordination with relevant border services (including those of third, neighbouring countries) and last, but not least, addressing funding challenges related with control infrastructure and equipment. What do these achievements bring to you? CELBET helps to improve the control of external border and preventing the entry of dangerous goods that could be harmful to people or to our environment or to the EU’s, the Member States’ and citizens’ financial interest. The improved controls also contribute to smoother and faster border crossing. The expert team is working in six areas: - risk management - customs controls - equipment and procurement - training, - evaluation/performance measurement, - co-operation with border guards and neighbouring countries.