RUSSIA, September 17 - The Union State of Russia and Belarus is creating an executive body in the customs sphere.

The Customs Committee of the Union State of Russia and Belarus will establish an Interstate Centre to coordinate risk management efforts and to analyse and monitor customs operations. This is being done as part of implementing the Union Programme designed to harmonise the tax and customs laws of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation and to promote customs cooperation.

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has coordinated the draft resolutions of the Union State’s Supreme State Council, whereby it is intended to regulate the Centre’s operations. The resolutions are to be signed at a meeting of the Union State’s Supreme State Council.

The Centre will form Union-wide and targeted risk profiles in the customs sphere, monitor customs operations with regard to commodities and transport vehicles in the territory of the Union State, define objects of joint customs verification, handle and analyse statistics on mutual trade between Russia and Belarus within the Union State, and coordinate the work of mobile groups set up by both countries’ customs authorities.

“The Interstate Centre will contribute to creating and running a single customs space, protecting the Union State’s economic interests, and minimising the risks involved in violating customs laws of the Eurasian Economic Union and the customs regulations effective in Russia and Belarus. The Centre will seek to minimise the use of import and export smuggling schemes. It will also enhance the quality of transit monitoring, make it possible to respond promptly to the threat of violations of the Union’s customs laws through a coordinated effort of the mobile groups established by the customs authorities of Russia and Belarus, and ensure the use of unified risk profiles with regard to commodity prices,” Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk said.

Earlier, the Government endorsed the Agreement on Harmonising the Customs Laws of Russia and Belarus and on Customs Cooperation between the Two Countries. On 13 September, it was ratified by the State Duma. Belarus has also ratified the agreement.