Procurement and joint procurement practices : customs control equipment in the EU : executive summary

This study is about practices for the procurement of customs control equipment by customs administrations in the EU. It took place following the launch of the Customs Control Equipment Instrument (CCEI), a funding programme to bring the equipment of all Member States up to a high level, and aimed to identify good practices in national procurement and explore possibilities for joint procurement. The study approach entailed an 'overall assessment' comprised of desk research, a written questionnaire for customs authorities, a survey and interviews with a sample of manufacturers of and service providers for customs control equipment, and a workshop with customs authorities. This was complemented by 'in-depth research', based on an examination of nine Member States and thematic case studies on three 'models' of joint procurement. On national procurement practices, the study found that customs authorities were broadly satisfied with their approaches, while also noting common challenges and recommending potential solutions to these. Joint procurement is still in its infancy; while the potential benefits are clear and numerous, any implementation at scale will need to be gradual and based on piloting and intermediate steps to build trust and momentum and to define the most appropriate approaches. As such the study conclusions are aligned with the Commission proposal for a comprehensive reform of the EU Customs Union (the two exercises being run in parallel and independent of each other) which envisages the creation of an EU Customs Authority. It is proposed that the EU Customs Authority is tasked, in addition to other responsibilities, with developing and implementing operational strategies for activities relating to the procurement of control equipment, including the assessment of needs, joint procurement and co-sharing of equipment.