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FinMin Bolos: Romania embracing main objectives of most extensive EU customs reform in 55 years
Romania has embraced the main objectives of EU customs reform, the most ambitious and comprehensive since the establishment of the Customs Union in 1968, according to the Romanian Finance Ministry.
Discussions on customs reform took place at the end of last week in Brussels, at a meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN), the first under Spain's six-month rotating presidency of the European Council. A delegation from the Ministry of Finance led by Finance Minister Marcel Bolos attended the meeting.
The European Commission's reform proposal will be rolled out in steps over the coming 10 to 15 years. It rests on three pillars: a new partnership among EU customs authorities and between customs and business; simpler customs procedures, and a tailor-made customs regime for e-commerce.
The key function of the EU Customs Authority will be to pool expertise and competences that are currently scattered across the EU, to steer, coordinate, and support national customs authorities in the EU.
A new EU Customs Data Hub will be the face and the engine of the Customs Union and a prerequisite for strengthening supervision and simplifying procedures.
Among the key themes on the ECOFIN agenda were structural reforms, fiscal policy, economic coordination, financial markets and other themes relevant to the sustainable economic development and prosperity of the European Union.
Also featuring on the ECOFIN agenda was the European Commission's communication for an adjusted package for the next generation of own resources that should generate annual revenues of up to EUR 36 billion in 2028-2030.
The EU finance ministers also discussed financial support to Ukraine in the context of the mid-term revision of the EU's long-term budget (Multiannual Financial Framework). The revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework and the proposal for a regulation on the Ukraine Facility include a financing of EUR 50 billion for 2024-2027.
As part of his attendance of the ECOFIN meeting, Bolos also participated in bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Spain and Poland.
With his Polish counterpart Magdalena Rzeczkowska, Bolos discussed the European Commission's proposal for an adjusted package for the next generation of own resources in the context of future discussions regarding possible changes to the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework.
"The importance of the Cohesion Policy allocations for the two countries was highlighted, a budget that in Romania's case entails investments of over EUR 46 billion for the next seven years. There were also discussions on digital transformation in administration and customs authorities for improving the collection of tax revenues, as well as the consolidated supervision of supply chains and goods. The two ministers also touched on the use of artificial intelligence and automated processes within the sectors of the finance ministries."
Another subject regarded an investment and development bank. Over the next next months, there will be a steady dialogue between the Romania and Poland for an exchange of best practices in the context of the making this bank operational in Romania.
Bolos and his Spanish counterpart Nadia Calvino discussed the implementation of the structural reforms with an impact on public spending that the two countries have mentioned in their national recovery and resilience plans, including state pension reforms in the two countries.