Administrative performance differences between Member States recovering traditional own resources of the European Union

The European Commission oversees the recovery by Member States of Traditional Own Resources (TOR), that is customs debt and sugar levies, for the European Union’s budget revenue. It fulfils high standards of control each year. According to the Commission, 98% of customs debt identified by Member States is entered in national accounts and transferred as TOR to the EU accounts without particular problems. Yet significant differences of performance exist between Member States. This report examines these differences, using published and accessible data to estimate the effects of such differences for the EU budget. It makes recommendations on how to improve even further the collection of this revenue and better safeguard all Member States share in TOR recovery.