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U.S. Response: European Commission Objects to U.S. Inspectors at Seaports The European Commission has objected to U.S. plans to improve maritime security by stationing U.S. Customs Service inspectors at European seaports, the Financial Times reported today (see GSN, June 28). The commission has told U.S. officials that the U.S. plan might violate World Trade Organization rules and could lead to higher costs for European importers by disrupting trade. While the United States has signed agreements to station inspectors at seaports in France, Belgium and the Netherlands, it would be technically illegal for individual states to put the plans into effect since customs and trade issues are part of common European Union policy, the commission has said. Commission officials plan to set up talks with the United States over altering the plan, according to the Times. U.S. Customs Commissioner Robert Bonner rejected the commission’s claims, adding that the U.S. plan would not violate any WTO rules since the United States wants all seaports to agree to similar security measures. “This is purely a security measure,” Bonner said. “It has nothing to do with trade rules or competitive advantage” (De Jonquieres/Alden, Financial Times, July 10).
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