First line of defence - against everything
- NTO
- 4. sep.
- 4 min lesing
The Nordic Customs Organization are very concerned about the differences in political committments about the role the customs and border authorities have to preserve the day-to-day security and safety in our societies.
The congress started with a discussion about the financial and organizational challenges in the five different customs administrations. The directions that the five administrations are going in are diametrical different. In Sweden, and so far also in Norway, the governments are increasing their commitment and investments in the customs. While in Denmark they are on the brink of a new large downsizing. In a world with increased unrest, a changed and unstable geopolitical security situation, and a Nordic situation where organized crime is operating across the borders like never before - a downsizing is nothing short of intolerable!
The first line of defense – against everything!
The customs administrations and border authorities are every nations first line of defense. In the dire times we`re in, NCO will urge the Danish parliament and political decisionmakers to take action and do their part to uphold the security and social stability in Denmark. The NCO agreed on a joint statement where Denmark is encouraged to reconsider the budget cuts. The statement also works as a warning to the other Nordic countries that the focus on border security and sufficient funding and staff must continue. We cannot afford that the border administrations fail in ther social and public mission.
Download or open the statement here:
Director of "toldstyrelsen" - the customs director
The meeting continued with each union presenting their national brief, and the danish customs director, Christian Lützen, adressed the NCO with his concerns about the challenges the customs are facing today and in the near future. This exchange of thoughts and ideas between management and unions is a good tradition in NCO, and shows that we more often than not, are on the same side. We have a common interest in developing our customs administrations as good as it can be. Even if the nordic customs directors have regularly meetings, the information that can be collected in a forum like this is quite uniqe.
At gunpoint - armed officers or not
Earlier this year, the NCO conducted a survey among the Nordic countries about what equipment and legislation they have to protect themselves and the public. There is a large variation. Sweden and Finland are the two nations that have implemented the most tools at this point. They both have handguns available, and also batons, Finland has non-lethal Taser-guns. All countries except Denmark, has some kind of defensive spray (pepper-spray). In Norway there are poltical voices who has started to raise the idea the the customs should be armed, but there is no decision made as of now. There is certainly a need to invest more in safety measures, defensive spray should be a bare minimum, but also more effective tools like Taser-guns is a non-lethal option that should be taken in to consideration in more coutries than Finland. The NCO discussed the topic and will follow the development closely. However all the unions made it clear that the most important safety measure is to have enough staff. There will be a follow up on this topis in the European organization, UFE, which most of the NTO-unions are members of.
Read the summary of how the different administrations are armed here:
A new shortcut to Europe
Since the meeting were held in Køge, it was an oppertunity to visit the new tunnel-project Femern-Sund, which is a new connection between Denmark and Germany. The 18 kilometer log tunnel will replace the ferry between Rødby-Puttgarden with four lanes of motorway and high-speed railway thus shortening the time to travel between Europe and Denmark, and also further to Sweden an Norway. The tunnel is an uniqe project with sections of the tunnel being made at a large concret factory at shore, then brought out to sea and sunken and assembled at the sea bed. Finaly the will cover the elements by gravel and sand. The tunnel will open in 2029.
You can read more about the Femern-Sund project here.
The new tunnel also means a new customs control station. Today the closest station is in Nørre Alslev which the delegation aslo visited, and this will be moved closer to the tunnel before it opens in 2029.
The agenda
There were a lot of important topics this year. One of the most important issues is the national reports - each union gives a "state of the union" and adresses what is happening in their countries and in their administrations. Further more the agande had the following items:
Welcome
Presentation by Director Christian Lützen, Danish Customs Agency
Country Reports
Working Group – Status
Committee in the NCO on the Legal Mandates of Customs Officers in the Nordic Countries
UFE – Status by UFE Vice President Karin Tanderø Schaug and Steinar Myhre Knutsen
Well-being and Other Personnel Policy Matters
Sick Leave, Work-Related Stress, and Work Environment
Arming of Customs Officers in the Nordic Countries
Security / Geopolitical Issues
NCO – Organizational Matters
Possible Statement from the NCO
Scheduling of the 2026 Meeting in Connection with the UFE Meeting
Any Other Business
The two-day congress was not enough to cover all the items as thoroughly as wanted, but the discussion will continue during the quarterly video-meetings NTO are having.
Next year there is no NTO-congress, but there will be a one-day meeting related to the UFE-congress. Where this will be is not yet decided. The swedish union, TULL/KUST, will be responsible to facilitate the meeting, and they will also be hosting the next NTO-congress in 2027.
The following years the different unions will rotate as hosts:
2026: Sweden – NTO-meeting at the UFE congress
2027: Sweden – NTO congress in Sweden
2028: Norway – NTO-meeting at the UFE congress
2029: Norway – NTO congress in Norway
2030: Finland – NTO-meeting at the UFE congress
2031: Finland – NTO congress in Finland
2032: Iceland – NTO-meeting at the UFE congress
2033: Iceland – NTO congress in Iceland
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