European Shippers? Council notes revision in WCO SAFE Framework

European ShippersÆ Council notes revision in WCO SAFE Framework The European Shippers' Council said Tuesday it welcomes changes to the World Customs Organization’s WCO SAFE Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Trade that will see the acting party, i.e. the carrier, takeover responsibility for the advanced declaration of information rather than the importer.
   Last week, industry stakeholders participated in a WCO-hosted conference in Brussels that included an implementation review of the framework, first adopted in June 2005.
   “We are very happy that the WCO has finally recognized that the importer is clearly not the best placed person to provide this information,” said Bernard Daguzan, customs manager with Schneider-Electric and chairman of the ESC’s customs committee.
   “It is usually the carrier that has access to the practical information required, and seldom the importer. This is, moreover, what was intended by the European Union in the new rules on security included in the Community Customs Code.”
   The ESC said that it continues to be concerned over U.S. requirements for 100 percent scanning of cargo. “This is likely to result in enormous costs to users, suppliers and ultimately consumers without accomplishing greater safety and security,” the ESC said in a statement.