EUROPEAN COMMISSION CUSTOMS REGIME

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000266 SIPDIS DEPT PASS TO USTR FOR MARK MOWREY, MATT ROHDE, TED POSNER AND USTR BRUSSELS FOR CHRIS WILSON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD EU EFIN LO WTO USTR SUBJECT: EUROPEAN COMMISSION CUSTOMS REGIME REF: SECSTATE 44705 ¶1. THE FOLLOWING IS POST'S RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS RAISED IN REFTEL. ¶2. SLOVAKIA'S CUSTOMS LEGISLATION IS IN FULL COMPLIANCE WITH EU LEGISLATION EXCEPT FOR SOME PROVISIONS ON DRUG PRECURSORS. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NON-ALIGNED PROVISIONS WILL TAKE PLACE UPON ACCESSION, MAY 1 WHEN THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION (EC) CUSTOMS LEGISLATION, INCLUDING THE EUROPEAN CUSTOMS CODEX, BECOMES DIRECTLY APPLICABLE. SLOVAKIA'S COMMERCIAL CUSTOMS CONTROLS ON THE BORDERS WITH AUSTRIA, THE CZECH REPUBLIC, POLAND AND HUNGARY WILL CEASE ON THE NIGHT OF APRIL 30-MAY 1. THIS WILL LEAVE SLOVAKIA WITH ONLY A 70- KILOMETER BORDER WITH UKRAINE AS AN ETERNAL BORDER OF THE EU. ALL GOODS IMPORTED TO SLOVAKIA FROM ANY EU MEMBER STATE AFTER THE COUNTRY'S ACCESSION TO THE EU ON MAY 1 WILL NOT BE SUBJECT TO CUSTOMS PROCEDURES. ALL GOODS ENTERING SLOVAKIA FROM OUTSIDE THE EU, INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES, WILL BE SUBJECT TO PROCEDURES AS DEFINED BY THE EC'S CUSTOM REGIME. WEISER NNNN