DELEGATE HANDBOOK

83rd CLUB MEETING
26 27 May 2016, Bled - Slovenia
DELEGATE
HANDBOOK
83rd Meeting of Directors General for Customs
of the EU Member States and Turkey
CONTENTS
PROGRAMME
MEETING VENUE
ACCOMMODATION
LUNCHES
SOCIAL PROGRAMME
TRANSFERS FROM / TO THE AIRPORT
PARKING
ABOUT BLED
3 CLUB MEETIN
rd
Dear colleagues,
It is my great pleasure to welcome you all to Bled to the 83rd Meeting
of Directors General for Customs of the EU Member States and
Turkey which will be held on 26-27 May this year.
I expect that the meeting will provide an opportunity to share
experience and views on recent developments in customs and to
discuss issues of common interest in a pleasant and friendly
atmosphere.
I sincerely hope that our discussions will be open and fruitful
providing further stimulus and guidance for future work in the
customs field.
The present handbook includes the programme and practical
information concerning the meeting.
I wish you an enjoyable stay in Bled and look forward to meeting you
at the welcome reception at the Grand Hotel Toplice on 25 May 2016
in the evening.
Yours sincerely,
Jana Ahčin
Director General
Financial Administration of the Republic of Slovenia
PROGRAMME
W e d n e s d a y , 2 5 M a y 2 01 6
19:00 – 20:00
20:00 – 22:00
Arrival of delegates
Registration of delegates at the Grand Hotel Toplice
Welcome Reception hosted by the Financial Administration of the
Republic of Slovenia at the Grand Hotel Toplice
T h u r s d a y , 2 6 M a y 2 01 6
8:30 – 9:15
Registration of delegates at the Grand Hotel Toplice
9:30 – 10:00
1. Welcome and introduction - Chairman of the Club Meeting, Ms
Jana Ahčin, Director General of the Financial Administration of the
Republic of Slovenia
• Opening address - Mr Dušan Mramor, Minister of Finance
of the Republic of Slovenia
• Opening remarks and adoption of the agenda - Ms Jana
Ahčin
10:00 – 10:10
2. Approval of the minutes of the 2015 Club Meeting held in
Bratislava
10:10 – 10:30
3. Information from the Presidencies of the Council of the European
Union:
ƒ Netherlands
ƒ Slovak Republic
ƒ Malta
Results achieved so far/work in progress/targets and expectations.
PROGRAMME
T h u r s d a y , 2 6 M a y 2 01 6
14:30 – 15:30
5. Modernising IT systems by pooling resources - Germany
Germany will present the current situation regarding IT systems in the EU,
key challenges and possible ways forward. The intention of the
presentation is to stimulate a constructive debate on the broad IT
architecture resulting from the UCC implementation.
15:30 – 15:45
Coffee break
15:45 – 17:00
6. Role of customs in the area of fight against terrorism
ƒ France
ƒ Belgium
France and Belgium will present their experience and initiatives regarding
the role of customs in preventing and combating terrorism.
20:00 – 22:00
Dinner
PROGRAMME
F r id a y , 2 7 M a y 2 01 6
9:30 – 9:35
Opening and organisational matters
9:35 – 10:10
7. E-commerce: presentation of the results of a joint Customs-Post
Project in Slovenia
Slovenia will present the results of a joint Customs-Post project about the
modernisation of customs procedure relating to postal consignments with
special emphasis on future challenges concerning e-commerce of small
consignments.
10:10 – 11:15
8. Excise frauds in internal market
ƒ Experience related to alcohol fraud in internal market – Italy
ƒ Fraud related to cigarettes – Poland
ƒ Fight against smuggling of mineral oil - an EU wide solution –
Hungary
The three countries will present their practices and solutions regarding
different types of excise frauds in internal market. Hungary will present
possible EU wide solution regarding mineral oil fraud.
11:15 – 11:45
Coffee break
11:45 – 12:15
9. WCO matters - European Commission
Representative of the Commission will present the outcomes of the WCO
2016 Europe Region Conference of Heads of Customs in Astana (19–20
May 2016) .
PROGRAMME
F r id a y , 2 7 M a y 2 01 6
12:15 – 12:25
10. Date and place of the next meeting
12:25 – 12:35
11. AOB
12:35 – 12:40
Conclusion of the meeting - Ms Jana Ahčin
13:00
Lunch
15:00 – 20:00
Afternoon excursion
MEETING VENUE
The meeting will take place at the Grand Hotel Toplice, a 19th century hotel offering
traditional style and lavish comfort. The hotel is located on the shore of Lake Bled and
has a beautiful view of the island, the Julian Alps and the medieval castle.
The meeting will be held in the Grand Hall.
Full information on the hotel and leisure facilities can be found on the hotel website:
http://www.sava-hotels-resorts.com/en/accomodations/sava-hoteli-bled/grand-hotel-toplice/
The registration of delegates will take place on Wednesday 25 May from 19:00 to 20:00
(before the welcome reception) and on Thursday 26 May from 8:30 to 9:15 (before the
meeting). The registration desk will be located in the reception area of the Grand Hotel
Toplice.
The secretariat room will be located close to the conference hall. Our support staff will
be pleased to provide you any assistance throughout your stay.
ACCOMMODATION
Grand Hotel Toplice
All rooms and suites in the Grand Hotel Toplice are
individually decorated in traditional style and
equipped with an excellent range of facilities including
free WiFi. As Bled is a well-known spa resort, guests of
the Grand Hotel Toplice may benefit from thermal
swimming pool, saunas and wellness services. The
hotel also includes a private beach. The hotel restaurants offer exquisite international and national dishes
along with outstanding Slovenian wines.
Delegates are requested to settle their accommodation bill before departure. The hotel accepts the
following credit cards: Mastercard, Visa, American
Express, Diners Club.
Grand Hotel Toplice
Cesta svobode 12
SI-4260 Bled, Slovenia
T: + 386 4 579 10 00,
F: + 386 4 574 18 41
hp
AC
P
www
wifi
SEF
ACCOMMODATION
Hotel Park
Hotel Park
Set in a superb lakeside location, the Hotel Park offers
217 rooms, all of which are equipped with a bath or a
shower, a mini bar and cable/satellite channels,
including WiFi. It offers a friendly, inviting atmosphere
in comfortable surroundings and an extensive range
of facilities including an excellent rooftop indoor pool.
The hotel's Park Restaurant and Cafe is the home of
the original Bled cream cake, a superb cream pastry
made in house since 1953.
Delegates are requested to settle their accommodation bill before departure. The hotel accepts the
following credit cards: Mastercard, Visa, American
Express, Diners Club.
Hotel Park
Cesta svobode 15
SI-4260 Bled, Slovenia
T: + 386 4 579 18 00
F: + 386 4 579 18 01
hp
AC
P
www
wifi
SEF
LOCATION
Austria
Graz
Hungary
Bled
Klagenfurt
Italy
Bled
Lake Bled
Airport
Ljubljana
Slovenia
Zagreb
Trieste
Croatia
Capodistria
Hotel Park ****
Lake Bled
Grand Hotel Toplice *****
50 m
LUNCHES
Lunches on 26 and 27 May 2016 will be provided by the Slovenian Financial Administration and
served at the Grand restaurant of the Grand Hotel Toplice for delegates only (drinks at delegates’
own discretion and cost).
Accompanying partners are welcome to join the delegates but will be responsible for their own
lunch cost. They should inform the reception at check-in if they wish to take lunch.
SOCIAL PROGRAMME
Welcome reception on 25 May 2016 at 20:00 (until 22:00)
On the day of arrival delegates and their partners are warmly invited to a welcome reception
hosted by the Slovenian Financial Administration in the Lake Salon of the Grand Hotel Toplice. In
good weather, the reception will be held on the terrace of the hotel (dress code – casual).
Dinner on 26 May at 20:00 (until 22:00)
Delegates and their partners are warmly invited to a dinner hosted by the Slovenian Financial
Administration in the restaurant Panorama of the Grand Hotel Toplice (dress code - business
attire).
Afternoon excursion on 27 May 2016 at 15:00 (until 20:00)
An afternoon excursion will be organised by the host after the meeting on Friday. We are
considering two options, depending on the weather conditions:
– Lake Bohinj and Mt. Vogel (good weather),
– Radovljica and Begunje (bad weather).
Delegates and their partners staying in Bled until Saturday 28 May 2016 are welcome to join the
excursion.
Bohinj
Church of St. John the Baptist, Bohinj Lake
Mt. Vogel and Lake Bohinj
Mt. Vogel at 1922 m is part of the southern Julian Alps and Triglav National Park. There is a cable
car to the height of 1537 m.
The journey will first take us to Lake Bohinj with a short stop at the 14th century church of St. John
the Baptist and the Monument to Four Courageous Men, a memorial to local men who first
ascended to Mt. Triglav, Slovenia’s highest mountain (2864 m). After a short ride along the shores
of the lake we will take a cable car to the Mt. Vogel, which offers magnificent views of the
surrounding Julian Alps and the lake. We will have a snack at Merjasec Mountain Hut enjoying local
meat and dairy products. On the way back to Bled through the Upper Bohinj Valley a short stop at
the village of Stare Fužine is planned, if time permits.
Do not forget your walking shoes and warm clothes as the weather conditions in mountains may
change rapidly and unexpectedly.
Radovljica and Begunje
The excursion starts with a visit to the Museum Avsenik in the village of Begunje. The museum is
dedicated to The Brothers Avsenik Ensemble, the most famous and popular Slovenian folk music
group who ended their career in the 1990’s. The journey will then take us on a short stroll around
the old town of Radovljica, including a visit to another museum - Live Gingerbread Workshop. We
will have an opportunity to observe skilled staff producing sweet surprises and presents on the
basis of old recipes and tools. The excursion will end at the neighbouring inn for some local food
and wine tasting.
TRANSFERS
FROM/TO
THE AIRPORT
The meeting organisers will provide transfers for delegates from/to
Ljubljana Airport based on the information provided in the registration
form. Delegates should look for our staff carrying welcome signs in the
arrivals area.
In the event of any delays or difficulties delegates can contact our staff
on duty at the airport or call the following number +386 31 735 718.
A list of departure times for return transfers will be distributed to the
delegates on the first day of the meeting. Please check that the details
are correct and advise us of any changes to your travel plans either
before or during the first day of the meeting, so that we will be able to
arrange transport to the airport for your return journey.
The Ljubljana Airport is located about 35 km from Bled. The journey by
car usually takes 25–30 minutes.
PARKING
Delegates arriving by car should note that the cost of parking is included
in the hotel price but is subject to availability.
ABOUT BLED
Bled is a resort town situated in the northern part of Slovenia along the glacial Lake Bled.
In summer the surface water of the lake reaches up to 25 °C and is suitable for bathing, in
colder winters it freezes and allows ice skating. On a cliff overlooking the lake is the 11thcentury Bled Castle housing a museum, a chapel and a restaurant. One of its main attractions is a tiny island in the middle of the lake, a home to a pilgrimage church where visitors
frequently ring a bell for good luck. Visitors can get to the island by a traditional wooden
boat called pletna in Slovenian. To reach the top of the island one has to climb 99 steps.
The local tradition at weddings calls for the groom to carry his bride up the steps while she
has to remain silent. The church was built on the ruins of an older temple consecrated to
Živa, the Slavic goddess of love and fertility.
As a health resort Bled started to develop in the second half of the 19th century and has
been ever since visited by guests from all over the world. Today it is an important congress
centre and tourist resort, offering a wide range of sports activities such as paddling, golf,
fishing and horseback-riding. It is a starting point for mountain treks and hikes, especially
within the nearby Triglav National Park.
Due to its position in the foothills of the Julian Alps, Bled has quite
mild but changeable climate. Average temperatures at the end of
May are around 15–16 °C but higher temperatures above 20 °C
are possible. Rain can be expected at any time of the year, so it is
useful to carry an umbrella.
More information about Bled can be found on: www.bled.si/en/
CONTACT DETAILS
OF THE ORGANISERS
Should you require any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us:
Content of the meeting:
Mr Brane Gregorič
e-mail: brane.gregoric@gov.si
tel: + 386 41 640 360
Organisation:
Ms Jana Vahčič
e-mail: jana.vahcic@gov.si
tel: + 386 41 250 304
Mr Stojan Glavač
e-mail: stojan.glavac@gov.si
tel : + 386 41 578 330
Ms Tanja Groznik Makor
e-mail: tanja.groznik@gov.si
tel: + 386 623 732
83rd CLUB MEETING
26 27 May 2016, Bled - Slovenia