Enquiry procedure for movements of goods under a TIR operation
Article 280
1. Where the customs office of departure or entry has not received the control results within 6 days after receiving the notification of arrival of the goods, that customs office shall immediately request the control results from the customs office of destination or exit which sent the notification of arrival of the goods. The customs office of destination or exit shall send the control results immediately after receiving the request from the customs office of departure or entry. 2. Where the customs authority of the Member State of departure or entry has not yet received information that allows for the discharge of the TIR operation or for the recovery of the customs debt, it shall request the relevant information from the TIR carnet holder or, where sufficient particulars are available at the place of destination or exit, from the customs office of destination or exit, in the following cases: (a) the customs office of departure or entry has not received the notification of arrival of the goods by the expiry of the time-limit for the presentation of the goods set in accordance with Article 276(2) of this Regulation; (b) the customs office of departure or entry has not received the control results requested in accordance with paragraph 1; (c) the customs office of departure or entry becomes aware that the notification of arrival of the goods or the control results were sent in error. 3. The customs authority of the Member State of departure or entry shall send requests for information in accordance with paragraph 2(a) within a period of 7 days after the expiry of the time-limit referred to therein and requests for information in accordance with paragraph 2(b) within a period of 7 days after the expiry of the applicable time-limit referred to in paragraph 1. However, if, before the expiry of those time-limits, the customs authority of the Member State of departure or entry receives information that the TIR operation has not been terminated correctly, or suspects that to be the case, it shall send the request without delay. 4. Replies to requests made in accordance with paragraph 2 shall be sent within 28 days from the date on which the request was sent. 5. Where, following a request in accordance with paragraph 2, the customs office of destination or exit has not provided sufficient information for the TIR operation to be discharged, the customs authority of the Member State of departure or entry shall request the TIR carnet holder to provide that information, at the latest 35 days after the initiating the enquiry procedure. However, until the dates of deployment of the upgrading of the NCTS referred to in Annex to Implementing Decision 2014/255/EU, that customs authority shall request the TIR carnet holder to provide that information, at the latest 28 days after the initiating the enquiry procedure. The TIR carnet holder shall reply to that request within 28 days from the date on which it was sent. At the request of the TIR carnet holder this period may be extended for further 28 days. 6. Where a TIR carnet has been accepted without exchange of TIR carnet data for the TIR operation in accordance with Article 267, the customs authority of the Member State of departure or entry shall initiate an enquiry procedure in order to obtain the information needed to discharge the TIR operation if, after 2 months from the date of the acceptance of the TIR carnet, it has not received proof that the TIR operation has been terminated. This authority sends the request for the relevant information to the customs authority of the Member State of destination or exit. That customs authority shall reply to that request within 28 days from the date on which it was sent. However, if, before the expiry of that period, the customs authority of the Member State of departure or entry receives information that the TIR operation has not been terminated correctly, or suspects that to be the case, it shall initiate the enquiry procedure without delay. The enquiry procedure shall also be initiated by the customs authority of the Member State of departure or entry if information becomes available that proof of the termination of the TIR operation was falsified and the enquiry procedure is necessary to achieve the objectives of the paragraph 9. 7. The customs authority of the Member State of departure or entry shall inform the guaranteeing association concerned that it has not been possible to discharge the TIR operation, and invite it to provide proof that the TIR operation has been terminated. That information shall not be considered a notification within the meaning of Article 11(1) of the TIR Convention. 8. Where during the steps of an enquiry procedure set out in paragraphs 1 to 7 it is established that the TIR operation was terminated correctly, the customs authority of the Member State of departure or entry shall discharge the TIR operation and shall immediately inform the guaranteeing association and the TIR carnet holder and, where appropriate, any customs authority that may have initiated a recovery procedure. 9. Where during the steps of an enquiry procedure set out in paragraphs 1 to 7 it is established that the TIR operation cannot be discharged, the customs authority of the Member State of departure or entry shall establish whether a customs debt has been incurred. If a customs debt has been incurred, the customs authority of the Member State of departure or entry shall take the following measures: (a) identify the debtor; (b) determine the customs authority responsible for the notification of the customs debt in accordance with Article 102(1) of the Code.