(2004/C 88 E/0117)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2743/03

by Richard Corbett (PSE) to the Commission

(11 September 2003)

Subject:   Slovakia

Does the Commission agree that, where possible, frontier and customs officials should be able to speak the language of the neighbouring country whose border they are supervising? Is the Commission aware that Slovak border officials on the frontier with Austria refuse to speak German, or indeed any language other than Slovak or Russian?

In view of Slovakia's imminent accession to the EU, will the Commission encourage Slovakia, and indeed all Member States, to ensure that at least some frontier officials are able to converse in languages likely to be useful on the frontier concerned?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(8 October 2003)

The Commission agrees that, whenever possible, customs officials both in the Union and in the candidate countries should be able to communicate in the language of the neighbouring country whose border they are supervising. With reference to candidate countries, the Commission has been advising their Customs Administrations to provide language training to customs officials. However, the administrative and organisational aspects of the customs services do not fall within the Commission's competence and are fully within the national competence of the existing and future Member States.

As for the case mentioned by the Honourable Member, the Commission is not aware of any specific problem, neither as regards customs officials nor border guards. Indeed co-operation between Slovak and Austrian authorities at the border is considered as satisfactory. Concerning customs, it is also worth stressing that, as from the day of accession in 2004, all customs controls between the existing and future Member States will be abolished and customs offices at the future ‘internal’ border will have to be dismantled by that date. Consequently, there will be no more presence of customs officials between Slovakia and Austria, and Slovakia will only manage part of the future Union external border with Ukraine.