Representatives of 11 CELBET Member States, European Commission, Frontex, Europol and RILO ECE met on 28 of November in Cracow.
CELBET Steering Committee took place in Cracow in the city where the idea of CELBET was born. In 2014 Estonia together with Poland on the meeting in Cracow, gave an idea of creating CELBET.
The meeting was opened by Mr Piotr Walczak, Secretary of State, Head of the National Revenue Administration, who highlighted the importance of the CELBET project: – CELBET is one of the most practical project in customs area with a contribution to the border management.
Head of the National Revenue Administration thanked Head of CELBET, Grant Coordinator and Team Leaders for their efforts and tangible results. He stressed the essential involvement of Estonia, which like Poland, was the founder of the project.
Mr Philip Kermode, Director from DG TAXUD underlined: – Five years have passed since CELBET was created and I have to say that CELBET is a part of landscape forever. In the context we have now: trade, terrorism, brexit, we see what the border really means and what customs means.
-Work of CELBET is a part of us and we can not live without it anymore – Mr Rivo Reitmann Deputy of DG Of Estonian Customs.
Members of CELBET management presented to the Steering Committee the results from last 6 months activities. Head of CELBET Jyrki Linna told about the composition of CELBET3 and the future of the project. Diagnostic study, missions, vulnerability study, cooperation with Border Guards, and future shape of CELBET were of the main points of the discussion.
All of the Steering Comittee members expressed the need of sharing the results and experience of CELBET teams’ activities, because like the Greek representative underlined: experience not shared is lost experience.
