93rd Meeting - 22 January 2008
- After 10 years representing AOCCUK on the PBG Bob Alldred is retiring at the end of February and the group welcomed his successor, Brian Green.
- National Transit Procedures - SITPRO’s letter and paper urging the retention of those simplifications crucial to UK business had been acknowledged by Miroslaw Zielinski, Director Customs Policy, DG TAXUD. It was agreed that SITPRO should follow this up directly with Zielinski on the next visit to Brussels to keep up the pressure. The group also agreed that in the event that the simplifications were not retained under the MCC, national transit procedures should at all costs be kept out of the scope of NCTS and temporary storage procedures for inward movements could be considered as a viable alternative.
- National Clearance Hub (NCH) – Following pressure from the trade a new JCCC sub-group had been set up. PBG members had a number of issues relating to residual activities in the ports and performance levels at the NCH. PBG representatives on the sub-group group would take these back on behalf of the members so that trader concerns would feature in the PIR on EPU Modernisation due out in June 2008.
- EU Customs Modernisation – Dave Morgan of HMRC provided an update on ICS and ECS. One of the key activities over the next few months would be identifying how to integrate the requisite systems with existing business. The group were keen to record their thanks to Dave and his team for their perseverance. Dave Morgan in turn echoed his thanks to the trade whose participation in JCCC sub-groups had enabled him to take the combined trade and HMRC view to Brussels.
- UK Border Agency– the group heard details of this new agency due to become fully operational with about 25,000 staff on 01/04/08. Concerns were raised that of these only 4,000 would be from HMRC and that this might impact on the ability of HMRC to retain the ethos of selective control in the face of the Home Office preference for blanket cover. It was agreed that there was scope for SITPRO to take an active role in pushing for national service standards for freight, as opposed to locally agreed ones, in any future consultation where this issue would be discussed.
- International Trade Single Window (ITSW) - The news that Defra were withdrawing funding from Phase 3 of the project raised serious concerns within the PBG. The PBG has campaigned for many years for a “joined-up” approach between key government agencies operating in the port environment, in particular between HMRC and Defra. It was agreed that the proper forum to discuss Defra related issues such as ALVS and TRACES and the planned PHSI/ PEACH/CHIEF link should be DICE.
- DICE (Defra Import/Export Consultation Exchange) – This group had not met for over two years despite urgent requests by SITPRO to reconvene it. SITPRO’s next step would be to write to Andrew Burchell, Chief Operating Officer, Defra.
- US Food Safety Legislation – Julian Ogden of United Biscuits alerted the group to the US Dingell Bill which is of great concern to the UK food industry. This would for example impose a user fee on food companies to fund FDA inspections at the border as well as limit the number of ports of entry for food items. SITPRO agreed to investigate whether the EU Commission or the WCO could act on traders’ concerns.
- New Ports Report – The group heard that this project was now underway. Work was being done on the scope of the project and some initial research had also been undertaken. A visit had been made to Phil Gadd at Portsmouth and meetings had been scheduled with John Powell at the Port of Dover and Tim Reardon at the Chamber of Shipping.
- The meeting was followed by a presentation by Steve Crindle, Landside Operations Manager at SCT and then a tour of the US scanning operation that is currently being trialled at Southampton.
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