During the Cooperation Team meeting that was held from 21 to 23 of November in Budapest, Task Force group members have met.
Task Force Group is a mixed team, created within the BCP Network specially organized for a particular task: presentation of current situation on EU external border with Ukraine, analyzing main factors that affect border management and ensuring updated information flow between the participants and partners. Task Force group consist of customs officials from 4 EU Member States which have border with Ukraine: Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia,
The meeting underscores CELBET commitment to strengthening EU external border management and cooperation with third countries.
During the meeting, representatives of Task Force group were delving into important topics:
- developing crisis management concept
- current situation at the BCP’s
- passengers border traffic
- customs formalities related to humanitarian aid
- cooperation with other institutions (Border Guards, army, local government)
According to the Slovakian presented data, situation on border strip with Ukraine is stable and customs procedures are implemented in a standard way. Equally important, bigger volume of trucks has been reported on Vysne Nemecke BCP, since the protest of Polish carriers started (6 of November).
Romanian representative highlighted meaningful decrease in number of humanitarian transports on Sighet BCP (from 2399 shipments in 2022 to 269 in this year).
Polish customs representatives shared an information relating to the situation on three road border points with Ukraine: Korczowa, Dorohusk and Hrebenne. As a result of carriers’ protest, the access to the BCP is limited, however humanitarian aid is being cleared without delay.
Members of the Task Force group are customs officers who deal with border management issues and have direct contact with border crossing point.
Cooperation Teams ensures both effective cooperation and coordination between customs administrations and border guard/border police and also with neighbouring third countries services. The team leader is from Poland. Experts are from Estonia, Romania, Greece and Bulgaria.
