Cross-border currents - EU deal on customs fraud and Argentina falls far short on corruption

European Union (EU) governments and MEPs have struck a deal to create two databases containing information on the trade in goods into and out of the EU, to help fight customs fraud. These would be run by the European Commission: one would be a central database for import and export data; and the other, a centralised repository for transit-related data. Information would be accessible by customs and law enforcement teams across the EU and would, said an EU Council of Ministers note, “facilitate more efficient analysis and detection of customs fraud”.