FRENCH CUSTOMS 2013 Results

FRENCH
CUSTOMS
2013 Results
Serving the public, protecting businesses
EDITORIAL
The year 2013 was a significant one for French Customs, as
it marked the end of the 2012–2013 Performance Contract.
The Contract was proof positive that French Customs was
capable of meeting the effectiveness targets it had been
set, with better results across the board. This achievement
was primarily due to the hard work, commitment and
professionalism of every member of the French Customs
staff, and showed an ability to adapt to a constantly-changing
environment.
2013 was also the twentieth anniversary of the Single
Market, a perfect symbol of our ability to change with the
times. To meet the challenges of trade security and the
development of legitimate commerce in a more competitive borderless zone, Customs has undergone sweeping transformations.
French Customs today is an organisation of paperless, streamlined procedures, new control
methods based on a better understanding of flows, risk analysis and targeting. It is an organisation of up-to-date taxation, and one that is ready to help businesses expand into world markets.
More than ever, we will focus on protecting French territory and its citizens from an ever-growing
set of risks. Furthermore, by providing support for businesses abroad and ensuring that tax
revenue is collected, French Customs also plays an economic role.
To address all these issues in the coming years, French Customs has, at the request of the ministers in charge of the economy, finance, foreign trade and the budget, rolled out a strategic plan.
The plan will help French Customs gradually adapt to its environment and expand its mandate. It
ensures that the women and men working for French Customs will be at the centre of any future
changes, because it is their daily efforts and unwavering commitment that has made French
Customs a proactive, reactive and inventive government department serving its country.
The 2013 results confirm that the remit of French Customs and the work of its customs officers
are resolutely at the heart of the key issues faced by our citizens – the protection of our national
territory in a globalised economy that offers growth but also new risks; support for businesses
to create added value and employment in France and develop productive investment; and fiscal
consolidation through secure collection and a stepped-up fight against tax evasion.
Hélène Crocquevieille,
Director-General of Customs and Excise
1
CONTENTS
Key Figures for 20134
2013 Highlights6
8
Combatting fraud
Fighting major smuggling operations
16
2
8
Protecting French and EU territory
10
Combatting financial fraud and tax evasion
14
A winning global formula with French Customs
Streamlining and cutting costs
16
Support for the competitiveness
of businesses abroad
18
A customised approach to businesses
20
22
26
32
Reforming the duties collected by Customs
Making collection more effective
22
Streamlining customs duties
22
The future of customs duties
24
Making people the heart of tomorrow’s Customs
A strategic plan to provide French Customs
with fresh momentum
26
Improving the workplace and fostering dialogue
between labour and management
28
HR management – a qualitative approach
29
Basic facts about French Customs
Organisation
32
French Customs around the world
34
Capacities
36
Human resources
38
Performance
39
3
013
2
R
O
F
S
E
R
U
KEY FIG
ACTIONS AGAINST FRAUD
Narcotics
7.2 tons of
cocaine
intercepted (+57%)
Consumer protection
7,113 citations
for noncompliance with standards (+16.2%)
86 tons of cannabis seized
(best result in 20 years)
49 tons of khat seized
3.6 million
toys inspected
(10 times more than in 2012)
Smuggled tobacco
430 tons of
tobacco
Financial fraud and tax evasion
€323m in taxes
and duties reassessed (+9,8%)
seized (+16%)
Environment
Counterfeit goods
7.6 million
counterfeit items seized (+65%)
647 violations concerning
endangered plant and animal species (+20%)
299 citations
for waste (+56,5%)
Weapons
823 weapons
seized (twice as many as in 2012)
4
LT S
2013 RESU
CUSTOMS CLEARANCE AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
Average clearance time
91%
of customs declarations cleared
in under 5 minutes
Service quality and
customer relations
90.5% of businesses
satisfied with French Customs
Paperless procedures
Custom certification
85% 1,020 (AEO) 2,162 of overall
customs declarations in 2013
paperless
were
Authorised Economic
Operators
(831 in 2012)
businesses
given free advice
(84% in 2012)
on how to expand their presence abroad
TAXATION
Effective taxation
€68.23bn
in revenue collected by Customs,
including €740m in environmental tax
45 euro cents
Streamlining
62% of wine harvest
declarations submitted electronically
69.5% of customs
revenue collected online
the cost to French Customs for collecting
€100 (47 euro cents in 2012)
HUMAN RESOURCES
Staffing and resources
Vocational training
16,869 6.4 days
employees
(budgetary posts) as of 31 December 2013
514 departments
(offices, units, indirect taxes excluding
Customs postal facilities)
of ongoing training
per employee
per year
5
S
T
H
IG
L
H
IG
H
3
1
20
6
3
1
5
4
2
FEBRUARY
JANUARY
•F
orty-seven years after Marielle Goitschel, Marion Rolland, skiing
with the French Customs team, wins a gold medal in the women’s
downhill at the World Ski Championships in Austria (3)
•1
60 kg of cocaine seized at Le Havre from a container
transporting rice (1)
•T
wo large-scale seizures of hashish (6.8 and 2.4 tons) at Le Perthus.
The drugs were hidden in a load of oranges (4)
•F
rance’s Minister of Foreign Trade launches a project
to streamline customs procedures
•A
site in Marseille producing counterfeit textiles is broken up
MARCH
•S
eizure of an arsenal of 28 handguns, 17 rifles, grenades,
mines and ammunition in Moselle (2)
•M
ore than 43 kg of heroin, weapons and €150,000 in cash
seized in Nancy (Metz DNRED) (5)
• Interception in Toulouse of 270,000 toxic button batteries
•B
reakup of a gang in the south of France with links to organised
with excessively high levels of cadmium
8
7
crime. The group was holding illegal lotteries and laundering the
proceeds (€1.5m in unpaid tax) (SNDJ) (6)
9
10
11
APRIL
•S
ignature of an agreement with the University of Alsace for a Master’s course in “International Purchasing”
• 7.6 tons of cannabis seized in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département, thanks to a portable scanner
•A
t Roissy airport, seizure of nearly 100 kg of scales taken from more than 300 pangolins,
an endangered anteater (7)
MAY
•2
.1 tons of hashish worth more than €10 million seized in Tours
in a load of carrots coming from Spain (8)
•S
eizure in Le Havre of 1.2 million packets of counterfeit aspirin
hidden in a load of tea being shipped from China. This represents
a record for both France and Europe (9)
•M
ore than 400 kg of cocaine seized off the coast of the Antilles
from a vessel spotted by a French Customs aircraft
•1
0,000 packets of counterfeit BN-brand biscuits seized at the port
of Marseille following a targeting operation by the Maritime Unit
6
JUNE
• First National Counterfeit Destruction Day – at 20 sites,
more than 1 million items seized by French Customs
are destroyed (10)
• Presentation of the Beechcraft KA 350, French Customs’
new multipurpose aircraft, at the International Paris
Air Show (11)
• The “Customs 2018” conference is held, attended by French
ministers and more than 300 French Customs partners.
The goal: drafting a medium-term strategic plan for Customs
LT S
2013 RESU
16
15
14
12
SEPTEMBER
13
JULY
•D
etection at Le Havre of an 18-km-long trail of maritime
pollution coming from a chemical tanker (14)
•S
ignature of a Memorandum of Cooperation with FEFIS
•F
rance’s finance ministry hosts an International
(the French Healthcare Industry Federation) with an eye
to combating counterfeit healthcare products
Experts Conference that brings together more than
300 business leaders around the theme of controlling
free-trade agreements in order to encourage exports
•F
ifth Seminar of European Customs Chemists
(250 attendees from 37 countries) (12)
•D
iscovery of 48 Greek tortoises, an endangered species,
in the fairings of a vehicle inspected in the Ile de France
region (15)
AUGUST
•2
0,000 mosquito traps – not in compliance with technical standards
•4
7.6 kg of cocaine seized in Cayenne (French Guiana).
and dangerous – intercepted at Le Havre in a container shipped from
China (13)
The drugs were hidden inside vegetables being carried
by a passenger (16)
•A
t the Channel Tunnel, with the help of the Euroscan system, 435 kg
of cannabis detected in a load of shrubs being shipped to the UK
•A
fter being spotted by a French Customs aircraft,
a Tanzanian vessel carrying 20 tons of hashish
was boarded in the Mediterranean
20
21
19
17
18
NOVEMBER
•S
eizure of 11 handguns and ammunition during
the inspection of a coach near Tours
OCTOBER
•F
ollowing a cooperative effort by French and British
Customs, 280 kg of cocaine were found in a sloop
that was boarded off the coast of the Antilles
•A
record seizure of 815 cartons of cigarettes at Roissy
airport being carried by passengers (19)
•€
83,480 in counterfeit banknotes intercepted in Le Perthus
•A
ttended by the Minister for the Budget,
celebration of the 10th anniversary of the National
Customs Academy (17)
•1
0,500 counterfeit luncheon vouchers seized
at the Basel-Mulhouse Airport (18)
•S
eizure, in the Ile-de-France region, of more than
300,000 Chinese-made toys, soft toys and balloons.
The items were not in compliance with European
technical standards and were deemed to be
dangerous and/or toxic
DECEMBER
• Seizure of 82 kg of smuggled ivory in Poitiers (20)
• Th
e EMEA Awards 2013: The DNSCE (National Directorate
for Foreign Trade Statistics) receives the Innovation in IT
Optimisation Award (21)
• Th
e Cyberdouane unit (Customs Intelligence Directorate)
arrests an individual suspected of selling drugs on the
“Dark Net” – a first in France
7
CHAPTER 1
RAUD
F
G
IN
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T
A
B
M
CO
In 2013, French Customs’ score improved in every sector.
Seizures of drugs reached a record high (a twofold increase
in terms of value), and seizures of smuggled tobacco and
counterfeits also rocketed (+16% and +65%, respectively).
Results were also up in other sectors such as consumer
protection and the fight against tax evasion.
FIGHTING MAJOR SMUGGLING OPERATIONS
PROTECTING CONSUMERS
86 tons
of cannabis seized
(a threefold increase
over 2012 and the best
result in 20 years)
7.2 tons
of cocaine seized
in 2013 (+57%)
430 tons
of smuggled tobacco
intercepted in 2013
(+16%)
8
Criminal organisations are taking
advantage of the many new forms of
trade to expand their illegal activities.
At the same time, new forms of fraud
are emerging. Individuals are increasingly
using the Internet as a vehicle for selling
counterfeits and fraudulent activities,
and also take risks by purchasing all
sorts of products online.
Drug seizures – an excellent year
The results for 2013 reveal a twofold
increase in the value of seized drugs
(€536m, against €255m in 2012).
Seizures of cannabis nearly tripled,
and those of cocaine jumped 57%.
The most spectacular increase involved
khat – there was a tenfold increase in
volumes seized in 2013. This is due to
tighter regulations in the Netherlands as
of 5 January 2013, and in the UK since
23 July 2013. This shift has altered
smuggling routes for khat in Europe,
and shipments crossing France have
increased sharply.
Seizures of new psychoactive substances
(NPS), including cathinones, synthetic
cannabinoids, tryptamines and piperazines, soared in 2013, with 321 kg and
2,071 doses discovered in express and
postal shipments.
2013 also witnessed a change in drug
traffickers’ modus operandi. In contrast
to previous years, the quantities being
transported were often smaller than
a ton; loads of intercepted cocaine,
for example, were often between 150
and 300 kg.
In 2013, several seizures of cocaine
were carried out by foreign customs
authorities following leads provided by
French Customs, including 486 kg
seized from a vessel by Spanish
customs (DAVA), based on intelligence
from the National Directorate for
Customs Investigations and Intelligence
(DNRED). Moreover, 20 tons of cannabis
were seized in the Mediterranean in
September 2013, from a Tanzanian
commercial vessel travelling between
Morocco and the Middle East.
Increased seizures of smuggled
tobacco
The good results achieved in previous
years continued in 2013. Seizures were
up 16% over 2012, for a total of
430 tons. In this respect, land-based
seizures represented the lion’s share
(40%), but there was also an increase
in seizures connected with online
purchases by individuals (+6.3%). French
Customs is expanding its resources to
take action against fraudulent websites
with “.fr” domain names, as well as
LT S
2013 RESU
35 tons of drugs worth ¤202m,
were seized abroad based on
intelligence from French Customs
7,113 citations
in the area of consumer
protection (+16.2%)
Under the watchful eye of French Customs,
nearly 380,000 noncompliant and dangerous
toys were seized in 2013.
its interception capacities, particularly
in terms of cigarette traceability.
Seizures abroad also expanded. Based
on information from French Customs,
84 tons of tobacco were intercepted
outside of France’s borders.
A significant increase in seizures
of weapons
As part of its ongoing mandate to
protect French territory, in 2013
French Customs seized 823 combat
and defensive weapons (a twofold
increase over 2012).
PROTECTING CONSUMERS
Increasingly globalised trade means
a growing risk for consumers with
the import of dangerous goods. French
Customs’ remit to protect the health
and safety of French consumers has
become a priority. The number of cases
involving consumer protection increased
by 16.2%. Half of all inspections carried
out in 2013 involved toys.
PROTECTING BUSINESSES BY
COMBATTING COUNTERFEITING
Despite the effects of the recent
Philips/Nokia ruling, there was
a marked increase in seizures
of counterfeits
In 2013, French Customs seized
7.6 million counterfeit items, compared
with 4.6 million in 2012. This activity
shows no signs of abating. Thus, even
though the Court of Justice of the
European Union ruled that customs
may no longer seize counterfeit goods
transiting through EU territory if they
are not intended for the EU market,
seizures of counterfeits within France
continue to rise.
823 firearms
seized in 2013
(twice as many as
in 2012)
7.6 million
counterfeit items
seized (+65%)
(including 1.3 million
counterfeit
medications)
9
CHAPTER 1
RAUD
F
COMBATTING
PROTECTING FRENCH AND EU TERRITORY
French Customs plays an active role in
protecting both French and EU territory,
alongside the 27 other European
customs authorities, and is committed
to converging European inspection
methods.
SAFER TRADE
France takes third place
in Europe within the Import
Control System programme.
In 2013, more than 7.3 million
Entry Summary Declarations
(ENS) were filed in France,
compared with 6.6 million
in 2010 (+10%).
24,189
seizures from postal
and express shipments
(+6.3%), including:
- 11,381 counterfeit items
- 2,746 seizures
of tobacco
- 2,176 seizures of drugs
10
The 9/11 attacks, recent health scares
and the risks inherent to products
manufactured on other markets – all
have contributed to putting the safety
and security of trade flows at the top
of every country’s agenda. At the same
time, organised crime has taken
advantage of globalisation and the
growth in world trade to expand and
conceal fraudulent activities. French
Customs has risen to the challenge of
regulating trade.
To do so – i.e. to provide a high level of
protection for flows of goods without
hampering legal trade by businesses
exporting to world markets – French
customs has developed a set of
innovative tools to understand trade
flows and to keep international trade
transactions secure.
A BETTER UNDERSTANDING
OF FLOWS OF GOODS
The Import Control System: a new tool
for understanding trade flows
The Import Control System (ICS) is the
pillar of European customs security.
ICS requires that an Entry Summary
Declaration (ENS) containing security
and safety data be filed with the
customs office of first entry within
the territory of the EU.
Based on the ENS, customs carries out
a risk analysis to determine if the goods
may enter the customs territory. If there
is a confirmed risk, a “Do Not Load”
message may be issued to the declarant.
Keeping express shipments
and postal traffic secure
In 2013, French Customs continued
its efforts to introduce the Air Cargo
Advance Screening (ACAS) system
in France. ACAS was developed by
the US customs authorities to ensure
the safety of express shipments and
regular mail.
Working with a major express shipment
firm, French Customs experimented
with electronic data transmission for
certain sensitive shipments to the EU
regardless of the point-of-entry airport.
Following this test phase, which was
unique in Europe, the project (known as
PRECISE) was extended to standard air
freight.
At the urging of French Customs, the
Universal Postal Union Convention was
amended to encompass the concepts of
prior electronic data transmission and
management of safety risks. Based on
the risk analysis, a “Do Not Load” order
may be issued by French Customs.
Similar to express shipments, the
Commission wanted certain Member
States to conduct experiments with
their postal authorities. In France, tests
were conducted on postal shipments
from the US between 15 October and
15 November 2013.
LT S
2013 RESU
In 2013, targeting effectiveness
improved
219 citations were issued
out of 10,000 verified customs
declarations (+63%)
Illegal goods sold via e-commerce were
a particular target in Customs postal facilities.
Datamining: defining new tools
to help guide inspections
French Customs’ inspection strategy
has, for several years now, been based
on an information system that combines
a dedicated software application
for customs declarations (DELTA),
an automated targeting and risk
management tool (RMS) and a nationwide
inspection database (BANACO).
In 2011, the system was expanded
upstream of the customs clearance
process, thanks to the introduction of
the Import Control System (ICS), which
processes prior, electronic transmission
of data about the safety and security
of flows of goods.
In 2013, French Customs continued
to develop BANACO with an eye
to achieving a better understanding
of the full set of inspections carried out
by its various departments.
A datamining experiment was also
launched in 2013; the idea is to
automatically analyse the vast
quantity of information received by
French Customs and to optimise the
effectiveness of inspections by eliminating
irrelevant grounds for selection.
Providing a high level of protection
without disrupting trade flows means
improving the inspection selection
process.
11
CHAPTER 1
RAUD
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COMBATTING
INTELLIGENCE AND ANALYSIS
To improve its ability to detect new
threats, French Customs has expanded
its intelligence activities in the legal,
regulatory and technological fields.
In particular, this intelligence relies on
a comparative method under which
Customs monitors other countries’
policies and best practices to broaden
its understanding.
French Customs relies on a network
of specialists and analysts including
experts in intelligence and regulations,
control and legal departments, scientists, laboratories and its own international network (customs attachés
in embassies, international technical
experts seconded to foreign customs
authorities and customs liaison officers
within international organisations).
data in order to better carry out controls,
and to combat terrorism and organised
crime. Customs will host the new
inter-ministerial platform that will be
operational by 2015.
To encourage information exchange
concerning both freight shipments and
travellers, an agreement was signed
with the SNCF on 8 January 2013.
To improve cooperative efforts, points
of contact were designated at both
French Customs and at the SNCF.
An SNCF employee was also seconded
to Customs. Finally, cooperation
arrangements between the two parties
covering customs inspections in stations
and aboard trains were spelled out.
EXPANDED INTELLIGENCE
EFFORTS AND STEPPED-UP
INFORMATION EXCHANGE
To combat counterfeit medications,
three protocols were signed between
December 2012 and July 2013 by
French Customs and representative
institutions for healthcare professionals.
These included the French Federation
of Healthcare Industries (FEFIS),
the National Agency for Drug and
Health Product Safety (ANSM) and the
Pharmaceutical Security Institute (PSI),
a not-for-profit organisation whose
members include the 27 largest
pharmaceutical manufacturers.
A partnership-based approach
to expanding intelligence efforts
Increased international technical
operational cooperation
In 2013, French Customs continued
to forge partnerships, particularly with
transport firms, to sharpen its understanding of flows of goods. Several
agreements were signed with Air France
to improve baggage traceability and
understanding of flight movements.
French Customs’ international network
adapts itself to address current issues
in the fight against smuggling and in
relation to the support provided to
French businesses in foreign markets.
It has also introduced an inter-departmental unit for strategic analysis,
whose job is to detect and anticipate
new threats and to modify Customs’
response accordingly.
French Customs also was involved in
laying the groundwork for the future
Passenger Name Record (PNR) system,
designed to facilitate access to passenger
Customs created a new customs attaché
position in Brazil. A presence in this
emerging country is important to support
French businesses there, but also to
expand cooperative anti-trafficking efforts
in this sensitive part of the world.
A large number of technical cooperative
efforts were carried out abroad by
French customs experts, with an eye
to bolstering the capacities of other
customs authorities in the fight against
major smuggling operations (drugs,
tobacco, counterfeits, etc.).
NEW MEANS FOR FIGHTING
ORGANISED CRIME
French Customs has invested in scientific
and technological resources in many
areas including IT tools, laboratories,
airborne detection devices, vehicles,
new airborne resources and maritime
patrol vessels, mobile scanners, etc.
In 2013, Customs continued to replace
its fleet of aircraft, with the purchase of
two new Beechcraft planes that will be
used for aerial surveillance at sea,
and the acquisition of a flight simulator
to train crews in the use of this new
equipment. A second helicopter was
deployed to the Antilles to bolster
drug-fighting capacities in this zone.
Customs also issued a call for tender for
the rollout of a system for developing
the operational capacities of its
air-maritime resources, the SIAM1.
This system will centralise and process
information gathered during aerial
surveillance at sea. It will improve
communication and information exchange
between units, thereby ensuring better
coordination of resources.
An offshore patrol vessel will be added
to French Customs’ maritime fleet.
Financed in part by the European
Commission, it will be deployed in
the Mediterranean to carry out customs
missions, as well as missions for the
French State at sea and the European
agency Frontex. France has also ordered
four close surveillance vessels.
1. SIAM: Air-Maritime Integrator System.
12
LT S
2013 RESU
245 individuals rescued
at sea by French Customs
99 cases of maritime
pollution detected (93 in 2012)
The new multi-purpose Beechcraft aircraft
will be fitted with high-tech equipment.
Their greater autonomy means a wider scope
of action.
With funding from the MILDT2, France
has acquired new detection resources.
These include, for example, a contract
for screening devices that was awarded
in 2013, an order for 50 endoscopes,
the purchase of particle analysers,
16 night vision goggles for helicopter
teams, as well as nearly 100 pairs of
image stabilised binoculars.
To bolster its automobile fleet, French
Customs ordered 118 vehicles and
53 motorcycles in 2013.
MAINTAINING FRANCE’S
NATURAL HERITAGE
The fight against maritime pollution
French Customs plays a major role
in the fight against maritime pollution.
Its airborne resources, which include
two aircraft fitted with “POLMAR” ocean
pollution detection systems, provide
surveillance for France’s coastlines.
French Customs’ presence at sea,
combined with heavy fines handed down
by the courts, act as a strong deterrent
for potential polluters.
Promising results in the combat against
traffic in endangered species
French Customs saw a rise of nearly 20%
in seizures of endangered species
(647 seizures, compared with 541 in 2012).
Safeguarding France’s cultural heritage
French Customs’ presence at the country’s
borders, as well as its legal and investigative powers, allowed it to play a role in
safeguarding France’s cultural heritage.
It strives to prevent attempts to illegally
export historic items and cultural goods.
30,365
analyses carried out
on behalf of
French Customs by
the Joint Laboratory
Department (+12.5%)
Interceptions of illegal
waste transfers:
+56.5%
2. MILDT: Joint Ministerial Task Force for Combating
Drugs and Drug Addiction.
13
CHAPTER 1
RAUD
F
COMBATTING
COMBATTING FINANCIAL FRAUD
AND TAX EVASION
€323m
in taxes and duties
reassessed in 2013
(+9,8%)
On 4 February 2013,
French Customs intercepted
a non-French resident carrying
a bearer certificate worth
$86 million. The individual
was travelling in a vehicle from
Switzerland, and was in transit
to a country in Latin America.
This discovery led to an investigation carried out by the
National Customs Judicial
Department (SNDJ).
In 2013, within the context of governmental guidelines, the fight against
illicit financial flows and tax evasion
became a priority for customs officials.
French Customs has been tasked with
enforcing legislation concerning
transfers of capital that obliges any
traveller entering or leaving France and
carrying €10,000 or more to declare
this sum to customs.
To this end, customs officers are
empowered to intercept cash, securities
and assets that are being physically
transported and that are connected
with illegal activities, attempted tax
evasion or money-laundering.
This declaration requirement gives
French Customs a vital tool for gathering
information on physical transfers of
funds into and out of France. Since
February 2013, a new online service,
DALIA3, allows users to file declarations
via the Prodouane website.
In the area of financial fraud, French
Customs is introducing new structures.
The National Directorate for Customs
Investigations and Intelligence (DNRED)
has created a group specialising
in financial intelligence that provides
technical and analytical support to
financial investigations.
A division of 17 investigators examines
financial offences and follow-ups to
citations issued by French customs’
inspection services. An operational
“Illegal Financial Channels” unit, which
was set up in 2013, works closely with
3. DALIA: Déclaration d’Argent Liquide Automatisée
(Automated Cash Declaration).
14
the National Customs Judicial Department
(SNDJ) and TRACFIN, the French FIU.
Customs’ Antiterrorist Operational
Group (GOLT), which is part of this unit,
processes intelligence on funds that are
potentially linked to terrorist networks.
In 2013, French Customs played an
active role in laying the groundwork for
the adoption of the Act of 6 December
2013 concerning the fight against tax
evasion and economic and financial
crime. Several of the Act’s provisions
concern French Customs.
The SNDJ’s jurisdiction has been
extended to include conspiracy and
unlawful assembly, and the Department
may use special investigative techniques
for major economic and financial crimes.
A right to requisition experts, which may
be of use to customs officers during
inspections and investigations with
an eye to detecting sophisticated
international tax avoidance schemes,
has been created.
Lastly, the new Act amends measures
for searches of premises to include
electronic documents and data (data
searches) and expands the list of cash,
securities and assets to be declared
upon arrival or departure to include
prepaid cards, gaming chips and gold.
Several proposals for regulatory
changes were referred to the European
Commission.
The National Anti-Fraud Commission,
which met in February 2013 under
LT S
2013 RESU
€132m
in undeclared
sums (three-fourths of which were
intercepted upon arrival in France
or in transit, in cash and in number
of citations)
€31.1m
in criminal assets seized
or identified by the SNDJ
Drug trafficking, arms smuggling, money laundering – French Customs is at
the forefront of the fight against organised crime.
the chairmanship of the Prime Minister,
set national guidelines for coordinating
the fight against tax evasion. Several
measures had to do with cooperation
between French Customs and the Public
Finances Directorate General (DGFiP).
In this context, Customs and the DGFIP
signed a circular concerning information
sharing with respect to physical
cross-border transfers of cash, securities
or assets, with an eye to stepping up
the fight against financial fraud and
money laundering, as well as terrorist
financing. This goal was also behind
the signing of the Customs-TRACFIN
protocol.
It sets out how information is to be
shared between the two departments,
and provides for the secondment of
a Customs liaison officer to TRACFIN.
There are other partnerships between
French Customs and the OCRGDF4
as well as the OCRFM5.
In 2013, French Customs expanded its
activity in the area of seizure of criminal
assets, with the goal of crippling
criminal organisations by tracking down
their illegal profits. Total criminal assets
seized or identified by the SNDJ
increased more than fourfold.
Legal proceedings in 2013
following an investigation by
the SNDJ: three and a half
years in prison and payment
of more than €65.5m in
damages for one of the leaders
of a VAT fraud involving CO2
emissions quotas, for fraud and
money-laundering conspiracy
(Paris Criminal Court – June 2013).
4. OCRGDF: Office central pour la répression de la grande délinquance financière (Central Office for Serious Financial Crime).
5. OCRFM: Office central pour la répression du faux monnayage (Central Office for Combating Counterfeit Currency).
15
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L
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STOMS
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WITH
Fighting fraud, protecting French territory and its citizens and
collecting tax revenue are all vital missions for French Customs,
because they support France’s economy and companies’ efforts
to conquer overseas markets as part of legitimate world trade.
At a time of heightened competition, French Customs encourages
measures that defend businesses’ competitiveness and the appeal
of domestic logistical platforms.
STREAMLINING AND CUTTING COSTS
85%
The overall rate
of paperless
procedures in 2013
(84% in 2012)
For several years, French Customs
has been committed to streamlining
procedures. The goal is to help
businesses free up resources in order
to invest more in jobs and means
of production. Customs clearance
streamlining goals can be summed up
in three phrases – facilitation, paperless
procedures and reducing both waiting
times and cost.
LESSENING ADMINISTRATIVE
BURDENS WITH THE ONE-STOP
SHOP FOR ADMINISTRATIVE
FORMALITIES (GUN)
AND ONLINE PROCEDURES
12,200
subscribers to
the economic
newsletter Douane+
(a 350% increase
in 2013)
16
Today, the 33 million customs declarations
made each year are fully electronic.
Nevertheless, specific approvals must
be granted for the import and export of
goods that may present health, safety
or environmental risks. There are 34 such
approvals, which are granted by
15 separate government departments.
Via the one-stop shop for administrative
formalities (GUN), an application compatible
with the European Single Window project,
French Customs is attempting to link
databases in partner administrations
with its IT clearance system.
Following the complete introduction
of paper-free import health certificates,
on 2 April 2013, the Interministerial
Government Modernisation Council
(CIMAP) mandated the Directorate
General of Customs and Excise (DGDDI)
to do the same with import and export
authorisations. In 2013, a pilot phase
was conducted on farm export certificates, export licences for military
equipment and CITES permits (endangered species).
Many more Customs services are now
available online. In 2013, no fewer
than 23 online procedures were
available on the web portal for professionals, pro.douane.gouv.fr. Another
site, lekiosque.finances.gouv.fr provides
detailed monthly statistical information
on international trade by France, and
quarterly foreign trade data for France’s
regions and départements. Maps of
France’s exports and monthly thematic
studies can also be consulted. Lastly,
the full range of customs regulations
can be found on French Customs’
website, www.douane.gouv.fr. This site
had more than 5 million visitors in 2013
(a 15% increase).
LT S
2013 RESU
In the space of 10 years, the average customs
clearance time has been cut by two thirds –
23 4 minutes 30 seconds
against 13 minutes in 2004
online procedures
available for businesses at
pro.douane.gouv.fr
33 million
electronic customs
declarations (+12%)
Streamlining and paperless customs formalities contribute
to the appeal of French logistical platforms.
Customs publishes an e-newsletter
specifically for businesses entitled
Douane+. Subscribers can get information about changes in regulations,
streamlining and new customs tools to
help them be competitive on international markets.
French Customs also has two smartphone apps, “Douane fr” for travellers
on the move and “RIF” (French International Register), which provides tax
information concerning commercial
shipping and recreational boating.
CUTTING WAITING TIMES
AND COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH
CUSTOMS CLEARANCE
The average customs clearance time
continues to fall, due to paperless
procedures and streamlining. It is also
the result of new inspection techniques
based on upstream data gathering on
flows of goods, an analysis of the risks
of each transaction as well as targeting.
Inspections are now focused on
“sensitive” goods.
Cutting waiting times and
lowering costs helps businesses
be more competitive when it
comes to the current challenges
of world trade (just-in-time
production, falling costs, speed,
fluidity, safety). At the same
time, by focusing on “sensitive”
trade flows, French Customs is
more effective in its efforts to
fight fraud and protect French
territory and French citizens.
17
CHAPTER 2
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A WINNING
SUPPORT FOR THE COMPETITIVENESS
OF BUSINESSES ABROAD
In 2013,
90.5%
of businesses
were satisfied with
Customs’ services
Source: People Vox survey, December 2013
France is in
12th
place worldwide
(out of 155 countries)
in the area of logistics
and customs
Source: World Bank Logistics Performance Index,
May 2012
Out of twenty-five
countries, France is
2
number
in implementing
intellectual property
protection
Source: 2014 American Chamber of Commerce Index
The new Union Customs Code
entered into force on
30 October 2013.
18
On 23 September 2013, French Customs
launched the “Tour de France des
Experts” under the slogan “Overseas
Success”. This is the first stage of a
national campaign to inform businesses
about the many ways Customs can help
them win export market share, develop
overseas markets and increase their
competitiveness.
French Customs assembled 300 business
leaders at the Finance Ministry and
explained how they could have better
control over rules of origin, discussed
free-trade agreement measures and
presented the Approved Exporter status.
One-to-one meetings were offered.
HELPING BUSINESSES
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF
THE NEW UNION CUSTOMS CODE
French Customs put a great deal of effort
into the new Union Customs Code (UCC),
which was issued on 30 October 2013.
By supplying European businesses with
the tools they need to stay competitive,
the new Code represents a major step
forward in helping Europe adapt to
globalisation.
and May 2016, the date on which
the UCC comes into effect.
In 2013, the Customs Union reached a
watershed in its history. A newly-formed
group of 15 directors-general for customs
proposed a new governance model with
an eye to expanding harmonised practices
and steering tools. To limit deflection of
trade, France recommended increased
pooling of certain procedures and
resources for the purpose of risk
and crisis management.
HELPING BUSINESSES WITH THEIR
INTERNATIONAL TRANSACTIONS
Businesses’ overseas strategies
increasingly involve taking account of
customs issues. To help businesses
prepare their international transactions
and keep them secure, French Customs
provides a set of free professional tools.
These help companies estimate how
much tax and excise they owe and help
them perfect their customs strategies.
The UCC, and concepts such as centralised clearance and the status of
Authorised Economic Operator (AEO),
emphasise to an even greater extent
the European nature of customs
regulations.
With the Binding Tariff Information (BTI)
system, an AFNOR-certified instrument,
a business may, prior to an import or
export operation, submit an online
request to French Customs to receive
the tariff classification of its goods.
This classification forms the basis of
the taxes and excise to be paid and the
formalities to be carried out. In 2013,
a total of 7,926 BTIs were issued.
For businesses wishing to expand into
world markets, AEO status is becoming
an invaluable passport. It is valid in
all Member States but is recognised
abroad (US, Japan, Switzerland, etc.).
It provides access to cutting-edge
streamlined customs procedures
and reduced inspections. The UCC’s
implementing provisions will be
gradually introduced between now
French Customs is also committed to
clarifying product origins with the
Binding Origin Information (BOI) system.
This system provides information about
the origin of goods (whether preferential,
non-preferential or “made in”). Finally
the Value for Customs Purposes (Avis
sur la Valeur en Douane – AVD) notice
allows businesses to determine the value
that should be declared to customs.
LT S
2013 RESU
166 BOIs 66 AVDs
and
issued in 2013 (+43% and +18%, respectively, over 2012)
In 2013, businesses made
1,785
requests for Customs
to help protect them against
counterfeits (+13% over 2012)
Launch of the “Tour de France des Experts” at the French Finance Ministry.
IMPROVING FLOW TRACEABILITY
TO BOLSTER THE APPEAL OF
FRANCE’S LOGISTICAL PLATFORMS
In 2013, a key element in discussions at
the Customs/Business Forum concerned
performance issues at both ports and
airports. One of the points focused on
improving the flow of information when
freight transits through seaport and
airport platforms.
During the year, French Customs
continued its efforts to introduce
the Cargo Information Network, a tool
for tracing goods at Roissy airport.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
PROTECTION: A NATIONWIDE
EVENT BASED ON KEY
LEGISLATIVE REFORM
On 11 June 2013, French Customs
launched the first National Counterfeit
Destruction Day in order to raise awareness of the dangers that counterfeiting
poses to both the economy and to
health and safety. More than one million
counterfeit items were simultaneously
destroyed in every region of France.
As regards legislation, French Customs
was very much involved in a number of
draft bills, some of which were adopted
in 2013. At European level, new Regulation (EU) No 608/2013 of 12 June 2013
concerning customs enforcement of
intellectual property rights and repealing
Council Regulation (EC) No 1383/2003
will enter into force on 1 January 2014.
Customs authorities are now competent
to enforce other intellectual property rights
with regards to goods. The Regulation
facilitates the processing of applications
for action and simplifies the procedure
for destroying counterfeit items. It also
fosters information-sharing between
customs authorities and rights holders.
Talks are underway on the Directive
and Regulation relating to trademarks.
In these talks, French Customs is
pushing hard for the resumption of
inspections of non-EU goods suspected
of being counterfeits that are in transit,
undergoing transshipment or under
duty suspension arrangements. These
inspections have been on hold since
the Nokia-Philips decision handed down
by the Court of Justice of the European
Union on 1 December 2011.
As part of the 2009-2012 EU Customs
Action Plan to Combat Intellectual
Property Rights Infringement (which
has been renewed for 2013-2017) and
within the framework of Regulation No
608/2013, French Customs has laid the
groundwork for the introduction of the
SOPRANOCOPIS application. Ultimately,
using this online tool, rights holders will be
able to file, amend or renew applications
for action. It will be connected to
the European application COPIS6.
An Act to help bolster anti-counterfeiting
efforts was drafted in 2013 and
is currently being adopted, following
a unanimous vote on first reading in
both the Senate and National Assembly.
It will provide French Customs with a
battery of legal tools to combat all types
of counterfeiting through increased
powers of intervention, including legal
authority, thus bringing domestic
measures into line with European law.
6. Anti-Counterfeit and anti-Piracy Information
System: an automated European-wide system
for registering and disseminating companies’
applications for action.
19
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A CUSTOMISED APPROACH TO BUSINESSES
The Large Business
Task Force – working
with 104 major firms
that represent more
50%
than
of France’s
foreign trade
4,382
Authorised
Exporters
(3,678 at the end
of 2012)
“3S” stands for “Service,
Streamlining and Security”.
It also represents a trust pact
of French Customs, committed
to improving the service
provided to businesses.
20
For two decades, French customs has
continuously customised its relations
with users. Through dedicated offices
providing advice to businesses, both
in Paris and throughout France, French
Customs shows its commitment to
supporting the French economy. Today,
the range of customs consulting services
is wider than ever, and Customs is
increasingly positioning itself as an
“operator” and is providing certification
for companies.
ADVICE TAILORED
TO BUSINESSES’ NEEDS
Overtime, French Customs has built
a relationship of trust with businesses.
Some of the key steps include the
introduction of Business Consulting
Units within the Regional Customs
Directorates (1992), the Infos Douane
Service national call centre (2005), the
regional economic development hubs
(2005), the Large Business Task Force
(2006) and the SME Unit (2008).
A customised relationship is built on
listening to businesses, answering their
questions and providing information on
regulations and how they are applied.
But Customs’ involvement goes much
further. It contacts SMEs directly,
offering free personalised meetings
in order to help them optimise their
customs procedures.
French Customs’ “3S” quality approach
embodies a desire to offer businesses
a coherent service. Working groups
that brought together businesses
and customs officials drew up a list of
ten service commitments that French
Customs introduced. After customs
clearance, the “3S” quality approach
was extended to the winegrowing and
alcohol sector in late 2013.
FRENCH CUSTOMS’ “LABELLING”
– CERTIFICATION FOR ECONOMIC
OPERATORS
The process of certification is part of
French Customs’ strategy of catering
for businesses. To this end, in order to
streamline export procedures and keep
them secure, Customs has introduced
the Authorised Exporter (AE) status.
This status is stipulated in free-trade
agreements between the EU and
its partner countries, and is proof that
exporting firms fully understand
the rules of origin. For certain trade
relationships (EU/South Korea) it is
mandatory.
A second customs label, the Authorised
Economic Operator (AEO) status,
is fast becoming an indispensable tool
for export. It reconciles compliance
with security and safety obligations
with the need for speed in legitimate
trade transactions. Trusted operators
are granted certain advantages,
including trading fluidity with countries
that have signed Mutual Recognition
Agreements (Japan, US, Switzerland,
etc.), lighter administrative burdens,
exemption from financial guarantees,
more favourable conditions, customs
clearance at domicile, etc.
FOR BUSINESSES WITH A STRONG
INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE,
A SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT
In addition to consulting services,
businesses today are demanding fully
customised treatment. In its five-year
strategic plan, French Customs plans
to expand the use of a single contact
person for economic issues. This person
will be able to provide advice as well as
procedure attribution and management.
LT S
2013 RESU
In 2013, French Customs’ Economic Development
Centres provided free advice to
2,162 businesses
(in four years, they have offered customised
support for nearly 10,000 businesses – or 10% of
the country’s foreign trade)
Free-trade agreements and rules of origin – French Customs provides
advice to businesses during a theme day at the Finance Ministry.
Taking more of an “operator” approach,
French Customs wishes to further
improve the quality of the service it
offers and provide operators that are
heavily involved in international trading
with uniform treatment for all of their
transactions.
Additional initiatives are planned to
personalise Customs’ treatment for
each operator. More favourable
conditions and even inspections are
largely based on operators’ reliability,
as well as their ability to supply
accurate information and ensure the
traceability of their trading. Increasingly,
accountability and strict supply chain
management are prerequisites for
the granting of favourable customs
conditions. In this way, Customs supports
legitimate trade flows and can focus
its attention on sensitive exchanges,
thus providing effective protection at
both domestic and European level.
1,020
Authorised
Economic
Operators
(831 in 2012)
21
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COLLECTE
In 2013, French Customs collected more than
€68bn in duties and taxes, an increase over 2012
(€67.9bn) This revenue is allocated to the central
government budget, local authorities, social
security organisations and the European Union.
MAKING COLLECTION MORE EFFECTIVE
REDUCING INTERVENTION RATES
€68.23bn
collected in 2013
(€67.9bn in 2012)
To provide a better, lower-cost service,
efforts to reform tax-collection procedures were carried forward in 2013.
BOLSTERING TAXPAYER
COMPLIANCE
French Customs carries out audits to
combat fraud, but also to encourage
taxpayer compliance. Doing so involves
coordination between the departments
responsible for regulations, inspections
and investigations.
The increased use of datamining and
targeting means that the efforts can be
focussed on high-stake sectors such as
energy and environmental taxation and
on excise duties on alcoholic beverages.
French Customs applies the “Excise
Duties Audit” Charter. The code clarifies
the role and the authority of French Customs and also encourages the acceptability of the audits that it carries out.
The idea is to expand taxpayer compliance and inform users of their rights.
STREAMLINING CUSTOMS DUTIES
69.5%
of all customs
revenue is collected
online
22
By simplifying taxation schemes and
reforming how tax transactions are
processed, particularly through the use
of online procedures, French Customs
continued its efforts to improve the
quality of service provided to users.
Starting in 2013, receivables resulting
from online customs clearance declarations (DELTA) and declarations of energy
product consumption (ISOPE) must be
settled using tele-payment. Formally
this was optional. This also includes
taxes on certain road vehicles
(the so-called axle tax). Using this new
online service, users can settle customs
payments and monitor them in real
time. This keeps operators’ banking
fees down and offers an easy, quick and
secure method of payment. By the end
of 2013, 69.5% of customs revenue
(€47.4bn) was collected online.
There were 3,227 subscriber operators
in 2013, a fourfold increase over
the previous year.
LT S
2013 RESU
62 % In 2013,
of wine harvest
declarations were made online
Starting on 1 January 2013, paperless
procedures were extended to registration of pleasure craft. The former
“orange notebook” system, so familiar
to pleasure craft operators, is being
progressively replaced by a pre-filled
form. To lighten the administrative
burden on both users and professionals,
French Customs tested a “Navigation
One-Stop Shop”, in partnership with
the Marennes and La Rochelle Maritime
Affairs Departments.
In 2013, the tele-payment system for
the yearly registration duty was
expanded to include new functionalities,
such as computerised management of
all types of pleasure craft, including jet
skis, which are now subject to annual
registration and navigation duty.
French customs is also expanding its
electronic VAT refund system, known
as PABLO. The new measure, which
was drawn up in 2013, will be introduced as of 1 January 2014. It will
electronically stamp export sales forms.
Electronic stamping makes the procedure faster, eliminates the return of the
form by post and means that travellers
can obtain an immediate VAT refund at
a reimbursement window.
French Customs has heightened its
efforts to support winegrowers by
lightening their administrative burden
and improving the quality of the service
provided to sector professionals.
French Customs is in charge of the
computerised vineyard register (CVI),
which manages the entire winemaking
sector. To lighten the declarative burden
on French winegrowers, it has introduced modern online reporting
procedures.
Efforts are underway to introduce
the new computerised vineyard register
(nCVI), which will provide a one-stop
shop for professionals and complete
management for this very important
sector of the French economy. In 2013,
development entered its final phase,
the rewriting of the land management
modules (database of land parcels,
along with their administrative and
cultural characteristics, planting rights,
etc.). This major, country-wide effort will
be completed in 2016. When this phase
is completed, the nCVI will give sector
management departments (French
Customs, DGCCRF, INAO, FranceAgriMer,
etc.), professionals and operators access
to sector data and online declarations
made via the Prodouane website.
The new computerised vineyard register
(currently in its final stages of development)
will make it easy to access information about
this sector.
The cost of collecting
customs revenue
continues to fall –
€0.45
for each €100
collected
(an intervention rate
of 0.45, against 0.47
in 2012)
23
CHAPTER 3
S
ED BY CUSTOM
IES COLLECT
MING THE DUT
REFOR
THE FUTURE OF CUSTOMS DUTIES
¤740m
in General Tax on
Polluting Activities
(TGAP) revenue
collected in 2013
Through taxation, French Customs
regulates certain economic sectors,
including winemaking, tobacco and
energy products, and provides support
for public policy.
In the environmental sphere, customs
tax revenue encourages good behaviour
and dampens the environmental impact
of certain activities.
EXPANDING ENVIRONMENTAL
TAXATION
¤11.46bn
in consumption duties
on tobacco products
collected
Since the introduction of the General
Tax on Polluting Activities (TGAP) in
1999 for which French Customs is
responsible for both collection and
auditing, the scope of environmental
taxation has expanded. In 2013, €740m
in TGAP revenue was collected by
Customs (a 1.4% increase over 2012),
more than half of which was for waste.
The revenue was primarily assigned to
the French Environment and Energy
Management Agency (ADEME). In 2013,
the TGAP was extended to include new
substances, and rate changes are pegged
to the French consumer price index.
SUPPORT FOR ECONOMIC
OPERATORS
In the energy field, in addition to sizable
revenue collections, French Customs
provided regulation for this sector
at every level. It inspected imports,
refineries, stocks, including strategic
stockpiles, and transport.
In 2013, several measures were taken
to reduce the financial expenses borne
24
by international traders. These include
extending the deposit exemption to
taxes due on imports and to customs
procedures with economic impact, as
well as certain transactions carried out
by small operators.
In the tobacco sector, French customs
collected €11.46bn in consumption duties
on tobacco products in metropolitan
France. The entire amount was allocated
to the social security budget.
French Customs’ efforts are not limited
to collecting taxes. The third performance contract between the government and tobacconists (2012-2016)
was carried forward.
The contract provides support for
tobacconists experiencing hardship, offers
better visibility on the outlook for this
profession and includes a commitment
from tobacconists to help strengthen
public policies to discourage smoking.
SUPPORTING THE
DEVELOPMENT OF MAYOTTE
As part of Mayotte’s changeover to
département status, in 2013 French
Customs played an active role in
introducing dock dues, which took effect
on 1 January 2014. This represents a
key element in the island’s taxation and
in financing the local authority. Dock dues
provide resources for the budgets of the
département and its communities, and
encourages the development of local
businesses, thanks to the introduction
of an exemption scheme.
LT S
2013 RESU
¤36.8bn
in energy taxes collected
French Customs regulates the energy sector.
BREAKDOWN OF REVENUE COLLECTED BY FRENCH CUSTOMS
IN 2013 BY BENEFICIARY
Social Security
Organisations 22.5%
Central government 54.2%
Local authorities 18.1%
Other 2.5%
European Union 2.7%
MAIN TAXES COLLECTED IN 2013
Other taxes 2.2%
Taxes on energy products 35.6%
General Tax on Polluting Activities 1.1%
Fuel taxes in overseas départements 0.7%
Dock dues and similar taxes 1.6%
VAT on petrol 17.2%
Customs duties 2.7%
Alcohol, wine, beverages 6.3%
VAT on imports 15.4%
Tobacco 17.3%
25
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’S
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OF TOMOR
Throughout 2013, a strategic five-year plan for French
Customs was drawn up. The plan is a response to a request,
by the ministers responsible for the economy, foreign trade
and the budget, that “the Directorate General of Customs
and Excise carry out its mandates in a more efficient manner,
in line with the best practices of EU customs administrations,
to support the competitiveness of the French economy,
effective and responsive taxation, and the protection of
France’s territories and citizens, while striving to provide
the best working conditions for its employees”.
A STRATEGIC PLAN TO PROVIDE FRENCH
CUSTOMS WITH FRESH MOMENTUM
BUILDING THE CUSTOMS OF 2018
The goal of the strategic
plan is simple – bolstering
French Customs’ role
as the department
responsible for trade
regulation and the
monitoring of flows of
goods, in order to cope
with the major issues
and challenges of 2018.
Budgetary positions:
16,869
full-time equivalent
positions
The strategic plan sets out broad
guidelines for French Customs, with
the goal of providing greater visibility for
both its partners and its staff.
The plan is the result of a year’s worth
of extensive talks in which a number
of departments took part. A discussion
forum was set up for the occasion.
A number of French Customs’ partners,
both in France and abroad, were also
brought in.
The crowning point of the consultation
process was a meeting on 28 June 2013,
which brought together, around
the ministers concerned, nearly
350 individuals – customs officers,
business leaders, professional organisations, logistics professionals, economists,
academics, consumer groups, journalists
and members of civil society. They shared
their vision of how the customs
environment will change over the next
five years.
The Douane 2018 strategic plan
incorporates changes in international
trade with continuing growth in trading,
as well as new forms of trade and the
emergence of underlying risks. The plan
26
calls for greater professionalism in risk
analysis, inspections and fraud-fighting
efforts, in order to better protect France’s
territory, citizens and businesses.
Douane 2018 will be an innovative
plan when it comes to support for
businesses. It calls for greater professionalism in relations with businesses,
whether multinationals or SMEs,
in order to support their development
and their competitiveness in global
markets. It is based on changes
in European regulations to support
the development of French logistical
platforms. Douane 2018 will also
introduce reforms and streamlining
in the area of taxation.
To meet these goals, French Customs
will increase its professionalism and
leadership based on stronger structures
at both national and inter-regional level,
which will guide the action of the various
departments, whether dealing with
inspection, fraud-fighting, economic
policy or tax collection. The regional
level will be refocused on operational
support for departments.
Through this strategic plan, French
Customs is playing its part in government
streamlining and modernisation efforts.
LT S
2013 RESU
53.8%
46.2%
of staff involved in commercial
transactions and general administration
of staff involved in surveillance
Main entrance to the Directorate General of Customs and Excise in Montreuil.
Over the next five years, the strategic
plan will introduce incremental changes
in the way French Customs operates,
its primary activities and its organisation.
French Customs is aware of the efforts
demanded of its staff, and will pay
particular attention to providing support
for these reforms. The strategic plan
not only assigns priorities in terms of
service provided to users, but also
focuses on reforming working conditions,
and on taking account of the career goals
and professional plans of its employees.
Training courses and teaching methods
will be overhauled to lay the groundwork
for these occupational changes.
Special attention will be given to the
working conditions for implementing
these changes. Forward planning for HR
will be revitalised with a view to
improving hiring policies and personnel
management practices.
NEW WORKING METHODS
Updating internal procedures
and becoming a benchmark
government administration
Efforts to reengineer working processes,
which were launched in late 2011, were
carried forward in 2013. The goal is to
improve effectiveness, provide greater
service quality for users and manage
risks better, as well as to introduce one
of the most highly developed internal
control systems. Senior field staff,
who are at the heart of these efforts,
identify business processes that need
to be improved or streamlined to lessen
the burden on the various departments,
while enhancing the quality of service
provided to users.
In addition, a best practices code
governing thoughtful consumption and
sustainable development was adopted.
It includes reducing paper consumption,
substituting videoconferences for
business travel, better waste management by recycling, and developing
an energy-saving mindset.
Innovative service provision to adapt
to a changing world
To structure this tactical approach and
provide guidelines for all those involved
in combating road transport-based fraud,
a networked working group was set up
at local level. This led to the creation
of Topographic Reference Documents
(Documents Topographiques de
Référence – DTR).
These reference materials provide
a local, practical guide to the tactical
approach – they set out the various
interception methods along with the
required human and material resources.
Local management can thus choose
the most appropriate methodology,
share resources and good practices and
improve mission planning. Unit heads
are thus provided with support for
leading their teams, and customs
officers better understand their role
and how it connects with that of their
co-workers.
Given the expansion of free-flow toll
collection and the emergence of more
extreme forms of fraud, French Customs’
land-based surveillance teams are
improving their tactical approach to
inspections. The goal is to maintain
effectiveness while ensuring safe and
secure interventions for all road users,
whether customs officers or the general
public.
27
CHAPTER 4
S
OW’S CUSTOM
R
R
O
M
O
T
F
O
F THE HEART
MAKING STAF
IMPROVING THE WORKPLACE
AND FOSTERING DIALOGUE BETWEEN
LABOUR AND MANAGEMENT
IMPROVING HEALTH, SAFETY
AND THE QUALITY OF WORKING
CONDITIONS
The Human Resources
Service Centre (CSRH)
is not just a different tool
– it represents a thorough
overhaul of HR attributions
with a view to providing
a higher quality service
for everyone.
3,092
one-to-one interviews
with members of staff
in 2013
The DGDDI is thoroughly committed
to preventing psychosocial risks within
its departments. To do so, it has set up
a “Workplace Well-being” steering
committee, whose members include
staff representatives.
Guidelines for preventing psychosocial
risks were drafted in 2013. The goal
of these guidelines is to seek joint
solutions to the issues involved. A pilot
phase was launched in the second half
of 2013 within an inter-regional
directorate, and the guidelines will be
rolled out nationwide in early 2014.
In 2014, management will be given
training in the importance of quality
working conditions, and every member of
staff will received a guide to preventing
workplace risks.
Lastly, as part of the Ministry for the
Civil Service’s efforts to draft a code of
conduct, an action plan was launched.
Women represent
37.1%
of all staff
MODERNISING RESOURCES
While controlling spending, French
Customs is working to maintain
its operational capacity in order
to combine efficient service provision
with staff security.
In an effort to combine safety and
comfort, the uniforms of motorcycle
28
teams now include innovative safety
equipment, such as airbags. Clothing
items that were originally restricted to
high-altitude teams have been more
widely deployed.
Following the accidental rupture of
a pistol breach in early 2013, a steppedup weapons inspection plan was put in
place. To better protect customs
officers against increasingly determined
criminal gangs, 900 bulletproof vests
were ordered in 2013, and ergonomic
tests were carried out jointly with the
police, the gendarmerie and the prison
administration.
French Customs is continuing to upgrade
its computers, office equipment and
applications. The Customs IT Centre (CID)
in Cergy-Pontoise is being overhauled
to enable the IT system to expand and
to make customs applications more
available to users. In-house, a new e-mail
system, Mercure, has been rolled out.
Its advanced functionalities allow staff
to work in groups and in project mode.
Several real estate transactions in
2013 improved working conditions
and stepped up French Customs’
operational capacities. The most
important of these involved new
premises for the Le Havre laboratory
and for the Customs Judicial Department
Unit in Metz. A plan to combine
the Customs laboratories in Paris and
Massy-Palaiseau is currently being
examined.
LT S
2013 RESU
e-training
33 training topics
167 vocational training
courses, 261 training sessions
organised in 2013
Lecture theatre of the National Customs Academy in Tourcoing,
which trains customs managers.
IMPROVING HR MANAGEMENT – A QUALITATIVE APPROACH
MODERNISING HR MANAGEMENT
Since September 2013, French Customs
has been testing an ambitious programme for modernising and improving
HR management. This is centred around
a national Human Resources Service
Centre (CSRH) located in Bordeaux, which
is slated to automate the administrative
and payroll management for 17,000
customs officers. To do so, a complex
programme for upgrading existing
applications and creating new ones
was launched.
Automation will boost HR management
quality through new functionalities
that staff can access online (registration
for promotion lists and aptitude lists,
part-time work and holiday requests,
access to individual staff files, etc.).
The new system will be guided by
the spirit of open access.
The new HR Service Centre will reshape
HR attributions within French Customs:
central departments will focus on setting
HR policies, while local HR departments will develop quality-based HR
management, and will, in particular,
provide support for staff in terms
of career paths, training, dialogue
between management and labour
and career advice.
CUSTOMISED SUPPORT
FOR STAFF
In a constantly changing environment,
members of staff need visibility
about their individual situation and
their career. Customised support is
based on a panoply of interviews in
order to assess each staff member’s
family and personal circumstances.
In 2013, all of the parties involved,
including the network of social liaison
officers in each regional customs
directorate, continued their efforts
to provide employees with a high
level of service.
Moreover, in line with its commitment
to update its HR policy, French
Customs tested, in the second half
of the year, a national Consulting,
Mobility and Career Development
Unit. Officially inaugurated in
January 2014, the Unit offers career
development meetings for every
member of French Customs’ staff.
The goal of this confidential
interview is to provide advice for
staff throughout their professional
career, with a view to analysing and
enhancing their career paths, and to
point them towards sensible career
changes within French Customs or, if
need be, towards external options
(jobseeking help, assistance with
CVs and cover letters, identifying
training needs, etc.).
These interviews also are used to
examine employees’ skill sets in
order to seek the best match
between profiles and positions.
29
CHAPTER 4
S
OW’S CUSTOM
R
R
O
M
O
T
F
O
F THE HEART
MAKING STAF
The new “training path”
concept represents a
profound shift in training
methods, which up to
now have been structured
by activity sector.
IMPROVED SKILLS MANAGEMENT
New training concepts
French Customs has committed to
taking a clearer, more proactive
approach to career development
in order to better cope with changes
to specialised positions and encourage
flexibility in its employees.
To expand its range of training courses,
French Customs is developing e-learning
and is also using mobile training units.
E-learning allows staff to follow
a course at their own pace, based on
each individual’s workload. In 2013,
the e-learning catalogue contained
301 training resources grouped under
more than 30 headings. The most
recent additions include training
in inspecting express freight, the axle
tax and the fight against smuggling
of cultural goods.
Measures concerning specialised
positions (35.2% of the total) are
designed to match staff with posts
(initial training, gaining professional
experience, vocational training, etc.).
Improved methods for defining these
positions provide staff with greater
visibility for all available positions.
ENHANCING THE EFFECTIVENESS
OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING
6.4 days
of training per year
and per employee
in 2013 (a national
average of 5.7)
2013 – creation
of the Consulting,
Mobility and Career
Development Unit
30
With the introduction of the Douane
2018 strategic plan, vocational training
is seen as a critical element in helping
both employees and departments cope
with changing professions.
Ongoing efforts to set up the new
Customs Academy in La Rochelle
Efforts continued to prepare for the
opening of the new National Customs
Academy in La Rochelle in September
2015. It will house the training organisations currently located in Rouen,
which train B- and C-class employees
in charge of inspecting commercial
flows, as well as those in La Rochelle,
which provide training for surveillance
employees.
The new Academy will also be the
occasion to introduce a new pedagogic
approach based on a common training
core, which will introduce a single
“Customs culture” and foster
the sharing of skills and synergies.
Customs-specific training
Roaming customs controls in which
vehicles are taken out of traffic flows
and inspected are becoming a common
method of intervention. To teach drivers
the necessary techniques for carrying
out these controls as safely as possible,
a special training course was set up.
It consists of a day in the classroom,
in which trainees go over the rules of
the procedure, safety issues and the
French Highway Code, with a second
day devoted to hands-on training.
In 2013, 1,142 customs staff attended
a total of 124 training sessions.
In the maritime sector, French Customs
has teams specialised in inspecting
confined areas aboard commercial
vessels moored at dock. A specific
training course was established.
The initial phase of the training took
place over a ten-day period in November
2013 at the La Rochelle Academy, using
a specially-commissioned simulator
that mimics the atmosphere and the
working conditions in tight spaces.
The training was completed with
exercises aboard commercial vessels
in the port of La Pallice.
LT S
2013 RESU
Specialised surveillance staff:
659 maritime officers
275 motorcyclists
251 dog handlers
187 airborne officers
414 investigators
206 judicial officers
Training sessions are designed to minimise
risks during inspections.
Partnerships with universities
French Customs has carried forward its
policy of reaching out to the academic
world, with a view to knowledge-sharing
and better adapting higher education
training to the needs of businesses.
There are currently 15 partnerships
in place with technical universities, and
others with higher education institutions
such as the ISTELI (Higher Institute for
Transport and International Logistics),
to provide training for individuals and
businesses making customs declarations, and with ISEL (Higher Institute
for Logistical Studies in Le Havre),
which offers a degree in logistical
engineering with a focus on customs,
and a university degree in customs.
21 skiers from the French
Customs Team were
selected for the Sochi
Winter Olympics
OUR VALUES: HARD WORK,
SOLIDARITY AND SETTING
AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS
More details about the team’s
performances are available from the
official website, equipefrancedouane.fr.
The France Douane team – sporting
values that are an inspiration
Support for customs associations
Since 1967, French Customs has
sponsored high-level sports. This is
a way of showing its commitment
to sporting values such as courage,
perseverance, striving for performance
and team spirit – all values that are
shared by its employees.
The French Customs Team (Équipe de
France Douane) team currently hosts
40 experienced and younger athletes
belonging to six Olympic federations
– athletics, fencing, judo, skiing,
shooting and sailing. Their devotion to
their fields of endeavour helps make
France a worldwide contender and
enhances French Customs’ reputation.
In 2013, the team won eight world
champion and seven vice-world champion
medals in skiing. They also took home
a vice-champion title in judo and
two European titles in athletics.
Customs staff belong to a network
of non-profit associations. French
Customs provides support for them
in order to promote cohesion among
the customs community, via the
solidarity that such actions convey.
These associations include the
Œuvre des Orphelins des Douanes
(ODOD), the Mutuelle des Douanes,
the Association for the History of
the French Customs Administration
(AHAD), and the National Customs
Sporting Association (ASND), which
boasts more than 3,000 members.
La Masse, a public establishment,
manages 3,400 social housing units
throughout France that accommodate customs employees.
31
B A S I C FAC T S A B O U T F R E N C H C U S T O M S
OPERATIONAL ORGANISATION OF THE DIRECTORATE
GENERAL OF CUSTOMS AND EXCISE (DGDDI)
Directorate General
12 Inter-regional Directorates
40 Regional Tax
Collection Offices
78 Territorial
Divisions
42 Regional
Directorates
179 Customs
Offices including
14 Customs
Postal Centres*
76 Excise
Departments
214 Land-based
Units
* Customs postal centre:
an inspection department within
a postal sorting centre.
4 Regional Coast Guard
Directorates
- Antilles
- Marseille
- Nantes
- Rouen
7 National Departments
National Customs
Judicial
Department
(SNDJ)
National Directorate for
Customs Investigations
and Intelligence
(DNRED)
DGDDI / DGCCRF
Joint Laboratory
Department
(SCL)
8 Local
SNDJ Units
- Paris
- Lille
- Metz
- Lyon
- Marseille
- Toulouse
- Bordeaux
- Nantes
Customs Intelligence
Directorate (DRD)
11 Joint Laboratories
- Ile-de-France
- Lille
- Strasbourg
- Lyon
- Marseille
- Montpellier
- Bordeaux
- Rennes
- Le Havre
- Antilles (Guadeloupe)
- La Réunion
Customs Investigations
Directorate (DED)
Customs Operations
Directorate (DOD)
11 DOD Offices
- Paris
- Lille
- Metz
- Lyon
- Marseille
- Montpellier
- Toulouse
- Bordeaux
- Nantes
- Rouen
- Fort-de-France
45 Airborne-naval
Units
Tourcoing
National Customs Academy
Grade A
National Directorate for Recruitment
and Vocational Training (DNRFP)
2 Departments
- St-Pierre-et-Miquelon
- Wallis and Futuna
National Directorate for Foreign
Trade Statistics (DNSCE)
Customs IT Centre
(CID)
National Customs Museum
(MND) - Bordeaux
32
Rouen
National Customs Academy
Grades B and C
OP-CO/AG Branch
La Rochelle National
Customs Units Academy
Grades B and C
SURV Branch
LT S
2013 RESU
THE DGDDI IN METROPOLITAN FRANCE AND OVERSEAS
Paris (DI)
Paris (DR)
MAP OF FRENCH CUSTOMS’
REGIONAL (DR) AND
INTERREGIONAL (DI)
DIRECTORATES
Roissy (DI)
Roissy Fret (DR)
Roissy Voyageurs (DR)
Paris-Est (DR)
Paris-Ouest (DR)
Dunkerque (DR)
Lille (DI)
Lille (DR)
Orly (DR)
Picardie (DR)
Le Havre (DR)
Champagne-Ardenne (DR)
Basse-Normandie (DR)
Rouen (DI)
Rouen (DR)
Coast Guard (DR)
Metz (DI)
Lorraine (DR)
Brittany (DR)
Strasbourg (DR)
Mulhouse (DR)
Nantes (DI)
Pays-de-la-Loire (DR)
Coast Guard (DR)
Centre (DR)
Dijon (DI)
Burgundy (DR)
Franche-Comté (DR)
Poitiers (DR)
Léman (DR)
Auvergne (DR)
Antilles-Guiana (DI)
Martinique (DR)
Coast Guard (DR)
Lyon (DI)
Lyon (DR)
Bordeaux (DI)
Bordeaux (DR)
Bayonne (DR)
Guadeloupe (DR)
Chambéry (DR)
Provence (DR)
Midi-Pyrénées (DR)
Montpellier (DI)
Montpellier (DR)
Guiana (DR)
Mayotte (DR)
Marseille (DI)
Marseille (DR)
Coast Guard (DR)
Perpignan (DR)
Overseas Communities
Réunion (DR)
Nice (DR)
New Caledonia (DR)
Corse (DR)
French Polynesia (DR)
Customs departments in:
Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
Wallis and Futuna
33
B A S I C FAC T S A B O U T F R E N C H C U S T O M S
FRENCH CUSTOMS AROUND
THE WORLD IN 2013
Primary cooperation agreements signed in 2013
Agreement with Spain’s Department of Customs and Special
Taxes regarding operational cooperation with respect to aerial
surveillance at sea.
Memorandum of Understanding with DP World Callao SRL,
the managing authority of the Callao private cargo port in Peru,
to prevent drug trafficking.
National Targeting Centre
Cooperation agreement between the National Directorate
for Customs Investigations and Intelligence (DNRED) and
the Naval Intelligence Directorate of the Colombian Navy (JINA).
French Embassy
Memorandum of Understanding concerning a mutual assistance
agreement for customs issues with Cape Verde.
Memorandum of Understanding with the Albanian Directorate
General of Customs.
Memorandum of Understanding with Customs Authorities
of the Union of the Comoros and Madagascar, and the customs
division of the Seychelles Revenue Commission.
Administrative cooperation agreement with the New Zealand
Customs Service.
34
Herndorn
Regulation concerning implementation of a bilateral cooperation
mechanism between Columbia and France.
Miami
Caracas
French Embassy
Bogotá
French Embassy
São Paulo
French Embassy
LT S
2013 RESU
Brussels
Geneva
France’s Permanent Representation to the European Union
World Customs Organization (WCO) – European Commission (EC)
United Nations (UN)
Cologne
Lyon
Luxembourg
World Customs Organization (WCO)
Europol - Interpol
European Court of Auditors
General Court of the European Union
European Institute of Public Administration
Frankfurt
Madrid
European Central Bank
French Embassy
Berlin
The Hague
Prague
Belgrade
Vienna
French Embassy
French Embassy - Europol
European Global Navigation
Satellite System Agency
French Embassy
ADETEF Serbia
International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA)
Washington
French Embassy
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
World Bank – French Consulate
London
Sofia
Moscow
French Embassy
French Embassy
French Embassy
Almaty
ADETEF Kazakhstan
Beijing
French Embassy
Tripoli
Cooperation
Dubai
French Embassy
Rabat
Ouagadougou
French Embassy
Cooperation
Brazzaville
ADETEF - Republic of Congo
Moroni
Nouakchott
Dakar
Cooperation
Cooperation
French Embassy - Cooperation
Conakry
Niamey
Bamako
Cotonou
Cooperation
Cooperation
Cooperation
Cooperation
* Seconded or assigned
35
B A S I C FAC T S A B O U T F R E N C H C U S T O M S
CAPACITIES
BUDGETARY RESOURCES
(In millions of euros, excluding the Joint Laboratory Department
and excluding contributions to the special pensions allocation account)
2010
2011
2012
2013
Staff
797.8
797.7
798.4
798.4
Operations and
miscellaneous expenditure
166.9
167.5
162.7
170.6
Interventions
298.7
299.7
271.8
253.8
31
25.5
32.9
38.6
1,294.4
1,290.4
1,265.8
1,261.4
361.9
393.4
320.1
336.1
Investment
Total
Contributions to the special
pensions allocation account
MATERIAL RESOURCES
Land-based
fleet
Number of
2012
2013
Motor vehicles
2,815
2,710
433
449
2
2
19-to-32-metre coast guard
patrol boats
19
19
10-to-14-metre inshore
patrol vessels
17
17
3
3
17 (including two Polmar
and 4 Beechcraft KA 350)
17 (including two Polmar
and 4 Beechcraft KA 350)
Motorcycles
43-metre coast guard
patrol vessels
Air and naval
fleets
Teaching vessels
Twin-engine aircraft
Single-engine aircraft
2
2
Helicopters
9
9 (including 5 EC 135)
Fixed scanners
2
1
Mobile scanners
Detection
equipment
36
5
5
X-ray devices
67
67
Densimeters
150
150
Particle analysers
23
26 (12 fixed and 14 mobile)
Radiation survey meters
45
47
LT S
2013 RESU
FRENCH CUSTOMS’ SEA AND AIR SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM IN 2013
Dunkerque
Coast guard
patrol vessels (PGC)
Surveillance aircraft
Boulogne
Twin-engine
Coast Guard patrol boats (VGC)
of 21 m or longer (VGC)
Cherbourg
Single-engine
Le Havre
Polmar aircraft
Granville
Brest
Inshore patrol vessel (VSR)
ROUEN
Helicopters
14 m
AS 355
Saint-Malo
10 m
Lann-Bihoué
EC 135
Lorient
La Trinité
Dugny
Teaching vessels
Saint-Nazaire
Shared between
Le Havre and Hyères
Maritime prefecture headquarters
NANTES
HEADQUARTERS OF A REGIONAL COAST GUARD
DIRECTORATE (DRGC)
AND A CUSTOMS OPERATIONS CENTER (COD)
La Rochelle
Rouen DRGC (Channel / North Sea)
Nantes DRGC (Atlantic)
Royan
Marseille DRGC (Mediterranean)
Antilles DRGC
Paris inter-regional Directorate
Bordeaux
Dugny
Air and naval departments
MARSEILLE
La Grande-Motte
Sète
Grau-d’Agde
Port-la-Nouvelle
Bayonne
Menton
Nice
Cannes
Port-de-Bouc
Ste-Maxime
Bandol Hyères
Toulon
Port-Vendres
OVERSEAS FRANCE
FORT-DE -FRANCE
GUADELOUPE
Kourou
Pointe-à-Pitre
Le Lamentin
Le Marin
CORSE
Basse Terre
Bastia
Marigot
FRENCH GUIANA
MARTINIQUE
Ajaccio
SAINT-MARTIN
Porto-Vecchio
Papeete
Dzaoudzi
FRENCH POLYNESIA
MAYOTTE
37
B A S I C FAC T S A B O U T F R E N C H C U S T O M S
HUMAN RESOURCES
DEMOGRAPHICS
2012
2013
Male employees
63.1%
62.9%
Female employees
36.9%
37.1%
Male employees
52.4%
52%
Female employees
47.6%
48%
Male employees
75.6%
75.2%
Female employees
24.4%
24.8%
41%
46.8%
46 years
46 years
14%
13.9%
35 to 49 years old
42.4%
42.2%
Over 50 years old
43.6%
44%
Total male and female employees
Male and female employees in the commercial operations branch
and in the general administration
Male and female employees in the surveillance branch
Percentage of women in entry-level executive positions (IP2)
Age of employees
Average age
19 to 34 years old
EMPLOYEE GRADES
(IN NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES)
7,475
7,524
5,587
4,097
5,391
4,142
Grade A
Grade B
2012
Grade C
2013
PERCENTAGE OF INTERNAL PROMOTIONS IN 2013
575 Grade C promotions
(29.5% of promotions)
557 Grade A promotions
(28.6% of promotions)
816 Grade B promotions
(41.9% of promotions)
38
LT S
2013 RESU
TAX COLLECTION
FRENCH CUSTOMS TAX REVENUE
IN MILLIONS OF EUROS (BREAKDOWN)
Customs clearance
Customs duties
2012
2013
12,828
12,411
1,952
1,865
10,853
10,525
23
21
Energy and environment
37,337
37,540
TICPE
24,095
24,284
Import VAT
Other
TSC DOM
467
460
11,146
11,707
TICGN + TICFE + TICHLC
335
331
One-off contribution on the value
of petroleum product inventories
548
0.5
13
18
733
740
15,784
16,212
VAT on petrol
Taxes and remuneration on behalf
of petrol industry professionals
TGAP
Excise duties
Alcohol and beverages
3,831
4,265
11,826
11,817
128
130
Dock dues and maritime activities
1,567
1,609
Dock dues
1,055
1,079
Port dues
467
483
46
47
171
168
Tobacco
Other excise duties
DAFN
TSVR – Tax on certain road vehicles
(axle tax)
Miscellaneous
Total
259
290
67,946
68,230
TICPE: Domestic consumption
tax on energy products
TSC DOM: Special consumption
tax in Overseas départements
TICGN: Domestic consumption
tax on natural gas
TICFE: Domestic consumption
tax on electricity for end-users
TICHLC: Domestic consumption
tax on coal, brown coal and coke,
known as the “Carbon Tax”
TGAP: General tax on polluting
activities
DAFN: Registration (as a French ship)
and navigation duty
DUTIES AND TAXES REASSESSED SINCE 2009 (IN MILLIONS OF EUROS)
Duties and taxes reassessed
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
272
296
265
294
323
39
B A S I C FAC T S A B O U T F R E N C H C U S T O M S
NARCOTICS AND TOBACCO
QUANTITIES OF DRUGS SEIZED
(ESTIMATED STREET VALUE IN MILLIONS OF EUROS)
€600 million
536
€500 million
€400 million
288
€300 million
€200 million
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
VALUE OF DRUGS SEIZED ABROAD THANKS
TO FRENCH CUSTOMS SINCE 2009 (IN MILLIONS OF EUROS)
€250 million
202
€200 million
€150 million
114
93
€100 million
€50 million
€0 million
88.6
45
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
SEIZURES OF TOBACCO OVER 10 YEARS (IN TONS)
500 t
430
450 t
400 t
350 t
300 t
250 t
200 t
185
150 t
100 t
2004
40
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
LT S
2013 RESU
COUNTERFEIT GOODS
SEIZURES OF COUNTERFEITS OVER 10 YEARS
(IN MILLIONS OF ITEMS)
10
7.6
8
6
3.4
4
2
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
MAIN SEIZURES OF COUNTERFEITS BY TYPE OF PRODUCT IN 2013
(IN NUMBER OF ITEMS)
Pharmaceuticals
1,354,705
Clothing
1,075,913
445,089
Personal accessories
Shoes
369,157
Toys, games and sporting goods
350,083
Cell phones
293,190
Food
261,570
Beauty care products
Electrical, electronic
and computer equipment
CDs, DVDs
and software applications
171,712
98,515
73,542
REQUESTS BY BUSINESSES FOR INTERVENTION BY FRENCH CUSTOMS
TO INTERCEPT COUNTERFEITS
2,000
1,785
1,586
1,450
1,500
1,000
500
1,290
910
1,035
1,117
1,171
687
0
2007
2008
2009
Number of requests for intervention
2010
2011
2012
2013
Number of registered rights holders
41
B A S I C FAC T S A B O U T F R E N C H C U S T O M S
RESULTS OF THE 2012-2013
PERFORMANCE CONTRACT
COMMITMENT 1 – FRENCH CUSTOMS, A PARTNER
FOR BUSINESSES ABROAD
Indicator
Unit
2012 Target
2012 Results
2013 Target
2013 Results
%
83%
93%
85%
90.5%
Number
2,000
2,154
2,000
2,162
Overall rate of paperless
customs clearance
%
81%
84%
84%
85%
Average time that goods
are immobilised
Minutes
and seconds
6 mn 35 s
4 mn 46 s
5 mn
4 mn 30 s
Effectiveness of targeting
customs declarations
Per
10,000
82
134
150
219
Number of consumer
protection citations
Number
4,000
6,122
4,200
7,113
%
25%
27.3%
30%
31.1%
User satisfaction
Businesses that were the focus
of a customised approach
Share of imports-exports
by Authorized Economic Operators
COMMITMENTS 2 – FRENCH CUSTOMS PROTECTS
FRENCH TERRITORY AND ITS CITIZENS
Indicator
42
Unit
2012 Target
2012 Results
2013 Target
2013 Results
Seizures of drugs
Millions
of euros
340
255.8
340
536
Seizures of smuggled tobacco
and cigarettes
Millions
of euros
82.5
80.3
85
90
Number of counterfeit items seized
Millions
of items
6
4.6
5
7.6
Number of citations concerning
anti-fraud efforts
Number
6,200
8,559
6,500
9,522
Rate of operational availability
by surveillance units
%
79.4%
80.8%
79.5%
82%
Operational cooperation index
Number
6,100
5,486
6,300
9,406
Seizures of criminal assets
by the SNDJ
Millions
of euros
5
7.2
8
31.1
Contribution to the fight
against maritime pollution
%
80%
81.6%
81%
83.9%
LT S
2013 RESU
COMMITMENT 3 – FRENCH CUSTOMS, A MODERN TAX ADMINISTRATION
Indicator
Unit
2012 Target
2012 Results
2013 Target
2013 Results
Number
530
426
540
501
Intervention rate with respect
to customs revenue
%
0.50%
0.47%
0.50%
0.45%
Duties and taxes reassessed
Millions
of euros
290
294
310
323
Collection of duties
and taxes reassessed
%
64%
58%
65%
61.3%
Computerised vineyard
register management quality
%
30%
52.2%
60%
83.7%
Taxpayer responsibility index
%
99.1%
99.1%
99.2%
99.1%
Number of energy- and environmentrelated citations
COMMITMENT 4 – FRENCH CUSTOMS, A FORWARD-LOOKING
GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT IN TUNE WITH ITS STAFF
Indicator
Unit
2012 Target
2012 Results
2013 Target
2013 Results
Availability of online procedures
%
98.8%
98.1%
99%
99.3%
Real estate occupancy rate
by employee in square metres
m2
12.5
12.8
12
12.7
Hierarchical audience share among
the employee information vectors
%
47%
43%
50%
43%
Percentage of positions
requiring special skills
%
33%
34.2%
34%
35.2%
Private vehicles complying with
the emissions standard of 120 g CO2/km
%
60%
60%
70%
81%
Overall satisfaction rate of employees
taking part in initial or ongoing training
%
72.5%
75.7%
73%
80%
43
Publication Manager:
Hélène Crocquevieille
Editor-in-Chief:
Serge Puccetti
Produced by:
Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DGDDI)
Information and Communication Department
Graphic design:
René Bertramo, 75011 Paris
Photo credits
© Directorate General of Customs and Excise
© Agence Zoom - Grenoble (no. 3, page 2)
© Donlore - Fotolia.com (no. 9, page 2)
© Olivier Bonnet (no. 11, page 2 and page 13)
Printed in France in 2014
Printer:
L'Artésienne - BP 99 - 62802 Liévin Cedex
Publisher:
Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DGDDI)
11, rue des deux Communes - 93558 Montreuil Cedex
dg-bic@douane.finances.gouv.fr
French Customs 2013 Results is available online at
www.douane.gouv.fr
Legal deposit: February 2014
ISSN: 1960-9345
44
Directorate General of Customs and Excise
Information and Communication Department
11, rue des Deux Communes - 93558 Montreuil Cedex
www.douane.gouv.fr
Twitter: @douane_france
February 2014