Furthermore, the honourable Member raised the question of customs cooperation.

These issues, among others, will be discussed at the first meeting of the joint customs cooperation committee on 14 November 2005.

I am thinking in particular of customs cooperation.

First, customs cooperation needs to be established promptly.

I refer to the customs cooperation agreement, which will and should play an important role in combating counterfeiting.

It also has to do with the fight against trafficking and, thus, with police and customs cooperation.

Obviously the Commission has no right of initiative in the field of customs cooperation under the third pillar.

However, we must try to minimise their impact on trade and travel by developing global security standards and enhancing our customs cooperation.

September 13: Iran and Afghanistan signed a memorandum of understanding on customs cooperation.

The temporary committee has demonstrated that customs cooperation between the Member States must be urgently strengthened.

A mutual legal assistance treaty and a Customs Cooperation Agreement will also be signed soon.

We have recently concluded an EC-China Agreement on customs cooperation.

The Greens wish to stress the importance of customs cooperation with third countries and the European Union's immediate neighbours.

Issues like customs cooperation, Europol, judicial cooperation and criminal matters would not be covered by any potential transfer.

Of course the penal and judicial aspects of customs cooperation should and would remain in the third pillar.

These deals are not pretty compared to the current dream of a free-market "economic union" of republics in smooth currency, banking and customs cooperation.

On 2 June 2004, the Commission published a communication about the reinforcement of police and customs cooperation in the European Union.

A promising achievement was the recently signed customs cooperation agreement between the European Union and China, which includes joint action against counterfeiting.

I want to refer to the customs cooperation agreement we signed with China, which entered into force this spring and for which we have high expectations.

But in order to address this major risk for patients' safety, we must also reinforce EU actions in the field of justice, police and customs cooperation.

Some of the mechanisms considered include customs cooperation, sharing of expertise in the field of energy, agriculture, food processing, tourism and financial and banking services.

Most cooperation systems are concentrating on measures against illicit trade in drugs, seaways, control of synthetic drugs and increased police and customs cooperation.

Customs cooperation between the European Union and India forms a good basis, as does holding a dialogue on matters such as investments and intellectual property rights.

These agreements are constantly implemented and updated in the framework of the Joint Customs Cooperation Committees established under these agreements.

It is positive that the presidency attaches such weight to these issues and we look forward expectantly to an initiative on drugs, not least concerning police and customs cooperation.