The FINANCIAL — Representatives from customs and law enforcement agencies of Belarus, Georgia and Lithuania met recently at the Task Force Tobacco in Odessa, held under the aegis of the EU Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine (EUBAM), to share their experience with colleagues from Hungary, Poland, Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine, as well as OLAF and SELEC.
The meeting resulted in an agreement to establish a regional mechanism for exchanging information on illicit cigarette shipments, intensifying the fight against tobacco smuggling on a regional level, according to EU Neighbourhood Info.
Information exchange is crucial for identifying new trends and routes in tobacco smuggling and working out strategies for counteracting them, a press release said.
The EU Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine (EUBAM) aims to improve cooperation between the border-guard and customs services and with other law-enforcement agencies, and facilitate cross-border and international cooperation. EUBAM seeks to promote confidence building and to contribute to the peaceful settlement of the Transnistria conflict, as well as to engage with civil society and support the partner services’ anti-corruption and good governance efforts.
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