EU booze-cruise legal challenge goes ahead

The European Commission has reportedly decided to take the UK Government to court over its alleged “heavy-handedness” in dealing with so-called “booze cruisers”. The EC claims that customs officers in Britain have been unfairly taking away imported goods such as alcohol and tobacco when people return from the European mainland with goods for personal consumption. Current EU rules allow the unlimited importation of goods without paying extra duty – as long as the goods are for personal consumption. Customs officers believe that, on many occasions, goods are in fact being imported for friends and relatives, in which case duty is payable. But officers stand accused of being over-zealous in the way they enforce the rules, including seizing goods and impounding vehicles. According to The Independent newspaper, the UK Treasury has offered an “olive branch” by promising to stop the seizure of vehicles and allowing people to keep their goods once duty has been paid. A British official is quoted as saying: “We have made enormous strides towards the Commission. It is clear the two sides are close to an agreement but there are still some technical issues to be resolved. We hope the Commission will go down the path of a high-profile, expensive legal challenge that can only put off cross-Channel shoppers.” But media reports early today suggest the legal challenge will indeed go ahead; the Sky News website is stating that the decision to take action against the Government has “gone through”, according to an EU source. Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad Ltd