Improving the Detection Capacity of Turkish Customs Enforcement

The twinning Project Improving the Detection Capacity of Turkish Customs Enforcement (TR 15 IPA JH 07 18 R) is financed by the European Union’s IPA fund 2015 and the total budget is € 1.000.000. The twinning partners are the Turkish Ministry of Trade as the Beneficiary, the Italian Customs and Monopolies Agency Lead Partner, the Spanish Tax Agency – Customs and Excises Department and Eutalia as Mandated Body.

The Project main objective is ensuring proper protection of the future external borders of the EU through a modernised Turkish Customs Administration (MoT), able to fulfil the tasks and obligations of an EU Member State Customs Administration. More specifically the twinning Project aims at strengthening the customs surveillance and control function of the MoT all across Turkish Customs Territory by increasing Coordination Centre’s and maritime units’ administrative, technical, intelligence and operational capacity in order to deal with both intended and committed offences more promptly and efficiently.

The Project duration is 15 months and its mandatory results are:

COMPONENT  1: Container Control Capacity is improved

Seaports are of critical importance in fight against illicit trafficking since approximately 90 percent of Turkey’s international trade is seaborne. The use of more efficient detection tools for container control will translate into a better protection of borders and local market.

Main outputs:

• New risk profiles created
• Pilot container control team established
• Alignment with EU procedures and best practice in the container control.
• Comprehensive advisory report on how to improve the container control
• Organization of container control activities at major seaports

COMPONENT  2 – Capacity of Customs Enforcement Control Centre is increased

The improvement of CECC (Customs Enforcement Coordination Centre), established since 2003, located at the main premises of Ministry of Trade in Ankara, will contribute to achieving better results in the fight against smuggling, as well as to coordinating relevant units at local level.

Main outputs:

• Enhancing cooperation and information exchange with the other law enforcement agencies
• Drafting mission/operation plans and control procedures.
• Carrying out operations which are coordinated by CECC
• Increasing number of officers working at CECC

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