Proposal for a Council Decision on the signing, on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and Canada on customs cooperation with respect to matters related to supply chain security

The customs relations between the EU and Canada are based on the Agreement on customs cooperation and mutual assistance in customs matters (CMAA) that entered into force on 1 January 1998.

In December 2005, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) signalled its interest to move forward with closer cooperation between the EU and Canada on supply chain security. Following a series of exchanges of views, an agreement was found between the Commission and the CBSA on the possible scope of the new agreement expanding the EU-Canada customs cooperation.

On 26 November 2009, the Council adopted a decision authorising the Commission to open negotiations with Canada. The negotiations were launched in May 2011.

The negotiations have resulted in the draft Agreement between the European Union and Canada on customs cooperation with respect to matters related to supply chain security, which builds on and expands the CMAA. The draft Agreement will establish a legal basis for EU-Canada customs cooperation on matters of supply chain security and risk management, including:

- reinforcing the customs related aspects for securing the logistics chain of international trade while at the same time facilitating legitimate trade;
- establishing minimum standards, to the extent practicable, for risk management techniques and related requirements and programmes;
- working towards and, where appropriate, establishing mutual recognition of risk management techniques, risk standards, security controls, container security and trade partnership programmes including equivalent trade facilitation measures;
- exchanging information for supply chain security and risk management subject to the confidentiality of information and personal data protection requirements set out in Article 16 of the CMAA and in the relevant legislation of the Contracting Parties;
- establishing contact points for this purpose;
- introducing, where appropriate, an interface for data exchange, including for pre-arrival or pre-departure data;
- developing a strategy that allows the customs authorities to partner cooperatively in the area of cargo inspection;
- collaborating, to the extent practicable, in any multilateral fora where issues related to supply chain security may be appropriately raised and discussed.

• Primary Source

EUR-Lex: COM(2012)143: Follow the progress of this document through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2012:143:FIN

European Commission: COM(2012)144: Proposal for a Council Decision on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Union and Canada on customs cooperation with respect to matters related to supply chain security http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2012:0144:FIN:EN:PDF

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