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The Group of European Customs Laboratories (Overview)
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The Group of European Customs Laboratories, the GCL, provides the structure for the co-ordination of the Member States Customs Laboratories
(340 Kb). Around 80 European Customs Laboratories take part in the various activities organised by the GCL as it moves towards achieving its ambitious goal of an integrated Network of European Customs Laboratories that are well-prepared to meet tomorrow's challenges.
The aim of the GCL is to:
- Rationalise
- Coordinate
- Optimise the use of human and technical resources among the European Customs Laboratories.
Dating back to 1999, the GCL aims to rationalise, coordinate and optimise the use of human and technical resources among the European Customs Laboratories. One of its most important missions is to anticipate changes in the customs environment and to ensure that the customs laboratories are sufficiently prepared to meet both current and future challenges. Through networking and face-to-face contacts between the customs laboratories, the GCL adds value by making it easier to exchange experience and best practice.
- Action 1 - ILIADe - Inter Laboratory Inventory of Analytical Determination
- Action 2 - Inter-comparisons and method validations
- Action 3 - Networking on quality
- Action 4 - Communication and Strategy (including Conferences and seminars)
- Action 5 - Scientific expertise
- Action 6 - European Customs Inventory of Chemical Substances
Various activities are organised by the GCL under the six themes as it moves towards achieving its ambitious goal of an integrated network of European customs laboratories. The activities are carried out on an ad hoc and voluntary basis by the customs laboratories themselves. Third country customs laboratories can participate provided that certain criteria are met.
Meanwhile, greater coordination between European customs laboratories has received the backing of Europeans' elected representatives. In their resolution* of 19 June 2008 on the fortieth anniversary of the Customs Union, Members of the European Parliament welcomed the initiative to establish a European customs laboratories' network, with a view to uniform interpretation of EU technical standards - an important sign of political support as the GCL takes its work forward.
Group of European Customs Laboratories |
Customs Laboratories Steering Group |
Activity reports & action plans |
| Action 1 ILIADe Inter Laboratory Inventory of Analytical Determination | Co-ordinator (Italy) --> Working group of 14 members |
| Action 2 Inter-comparisons and method validations | Co-ordinator (France) --> 10 to 50 participants per study |
| Action 3 Networking on quality | Co-ordinator (Greece) --> Ad-hoc groups and workshops |
| Action 4 Communication and strategy | Co-ordinator (Austria) --> Ad-hoc groups, Conferences, Seminars |
| Action 5 Scientific expertise | Co-ordinator (The Netherlands) --> Ad-hoc groups and workshops |
| Action 6 ECICS European Customs Inventory of Chemical Substances | Co-ordinator (European Commission) --> Working group of 10 members |