The committee adopted the report by Jannelly FOURTOU (ALDE, FR) amending - under the 1st reading of the codecision procedure - the proposed decision establishing an action programme for customs in the Community (Customs 2013):
- one of the aims of the Customs 2013 programme should be "to ensure the effective operation of the internal market in the customs field";
- the specific objectives of the programme should include ensuring "a standard and unambiguous classification of tariffs in the European Union, in particular by improving coordination and cooperation between laboratories";
- a ceiling of 5% of the overall cost of the programme should be laid down for the costs of "any other activities required for the realisation of the objectives of the programme";
- the participating countries should bear the cost of the development, acquisition, installation, maintenance and day-to-day operation of the non-Community components of the communication and exchange systems, as well as the cost relating to the initial and continuous training (in particular linguistic training) of their officials;
- it should be possible for on-the-spot audits by the Commission to take place unannounced;
- the deadline for submission of the mid-term evaluation report should be 31 July 2011 rather than 30 September 2011, to take account of deadlines in the EP's budgetary procedure.