You're reading: Ukraine, EU to jointly counter smuggling of cigarettes

Head of the State Customs Service of Ukraine Ihor Kaletnik and European Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Unions, Audit and Anti-Fraud Algirdas Semeta have agreed to begin effective work on the implementation of a strategy for customs cooperation between Ukraine and the EU, which foresees cooperation in the fight against customs fraud and smuggling, the press office of the State Customs Service has reported.

The relevant agreement was reached at a meeting between the sides in Kyiv on Saturday.

"An important area is cooperation in combating the illicit trafficking of cigarettes through the joint section of the border. In 2011, over 3,000 cases of the smuggling of cigarettes were reported here, and 37.5 million cigarettes worth EUR 1.2 million were seized. In Europe, this amount could rise by 5-10 times," Kaletnik said.