CUSTOMS UNION

by Altiero Spinelli

SUMMARY: On the occasion of an "excess of zeal" on the part of German customs officers, Spinelli

questions the Commission regarding compliance with the rules concerning the Customs Union. "Speeches in European Parliament, 1976-1986", Pier Virgilio Dastoli Editor. (EP, 16 March 1979)

I hope that this discussion in the European Parliament will serve to draw the attention of the customs officials in the various countries to the existence of a customs Union.

In this particular case, the German customs authorities acknowledged that their action was unjustified by subsequently indicating their willingness to return the confiscated books without taxing them, confining themselves to the discourtesy of telling the publisher to collect them himself.

Various incidents of this kind occur at other Community frontiers. Only yesterday I was told that at the Luxemburg/French border travellers are asked, without any right whatever, to give information concerning their occupation.

At the Italian border, there is a special lane for travellers who have nothing to declare but the customs officials have seen fit to close this, and all t raffic is directed into another lane where a declaration has to be made. These are petty incidents, but during the years when my responsibilities included the Corn-Imunity customs, I observed that our national customs authorities still tend to hold into meaningless prerogatives of the past.

I should not like to see a repetition at customs level of lonesco's Rhinoceros play, in which every time a rhinoceros appears, it is argued that since it is only a small one and no harm to anyone, it should be allowed to move about freely, until eventually there are so many rhinoceroses that are in a position to impose their will on all.

I therefore request the Commission to ensure that in future all the national authorities - since this incident is not peculiar to the German customs - fully respect the Community's customs Union.