
2015 No. 636
Customs
The Customs (Contravention of a Relevant Rule) (Amendment) Regulations 2015
Made 10th March 2015
Laid before the House of Commons 11th March 2015
Coming into force 2nd April 2015
The Treasury, in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 24(3), 26(1) to (5), (8), (9) and 41(1) of the Finance Act 2003 and section 102 of the Finance Act 2014 make the following Regulations:
Citation and Commencement
1 
These Regulations may be cited as the Customs (Contravention of a Relevant Rule) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 and come into force on 2nd April 2015.
Amendment of the Customs (Contravention of a Relevant Rule) Regulations 2003
2 
The Customs (Contravention of a Relevant Rule) Regulations 2003 are amended as follows.
3 
In regulation 2 (interpretation) omit all the definitions except those of—
(a) “the Act”,
(b) “the Code”,
(c) “Customs”,
(d) “customs territory”,
(e) “the 1994 Act”,
(f) “the Implementing Regulation” and
(g) “the Importation Regulations”.
4 
In regulation 3(7) (relevant rule and amount of penalty), for “Where a person is liable to a penalty under these Regulations” substitute “Where as a consequence of these Regulations, a person is liable to a penalty under section 26 of the Finance Act 2003”.
5 
In the Schedule—
(a) for “Ship’s Report Regulations” substitute “Ship’s Report, Importation and Exportation by Sea Regulations 1981”;
(b) for “Aircraft Report Regulations” substitute “Aircraft (Customs and Excise) Regulations 1981”;
(c) omit “Article 5a of the Code and”;
(d) for “Simplified Procedures” substitute “Simplified and Local Procedures”;
(e) omit “Local Clearance Procedures” and the entry beneath it;
(f) for “Articles 6, 7, 85 to 87 and 90 of the Code and Articles 505 to 508 of the Implementing Regulation” substitute “Articles 85 and 87 of the Code”;
(g) omit “and Article 528 of the Implementing Regulation”;
(h) omit “In respect of customs warehousing”;
(i) omit the entries headed—
(i) “Article 313b(5) of the Implementing Regulation”;
(ii) “Article 313b(7) of the Implementing Regulation”;
(iii) “Articles 6 and 7 of the Code and Articles 290a and 290b of the Implementing Regulation”;
(j) insert at the beginning—“
Sections 20, 22 and 25 of the Act  
Any condition or restriction attaching to any approval given under section 20, 22 or 25 of the Act. The approved person. £1,000.
Section 21(1) and (3)(b) of the Act  
Except where permitted, not to cause, or permit, to land an aircraft other than at a customs and excise airport (which, in the case of flights departing the UK, must be as specified in the clearance application), except with Customs’ permission or for unavoidable cause. The commander of the aircraft. £2,500.
Section 21(2) of the Act  
Except as permitted by Customs, not to bring into the United Kingdom, in an aircraft, at any place other than a customs and excise airport, goods being imported from within the customs territory. The person bringing in the goods. £2,500.
Section 21(3)(a) of the Act  
Except where permitted, not to depart on a flight to a place or area outside the United Kingdom from any place in the United Kingdom other than a customs and excise airport. The person departing. £2,500.
Section 21(4)(a) of the Act  
In the case of landing other than as permitted under sections 21(1) or (3), (a) to make immediate report (b) not to permit goods to be unloaded from the aircraft (c) not to permit any crew or passengers to leave its vicinity (d) to comply with any directions given by an officer. The commander of the aircraft. £2,500.
Section 21(4)(b) of the Act  
In the case of landing other than as permitted under sections 21(1) or (3), no passenger or crew member to leave the immediate vicinity of the aircraft without the consent of an officer or constable. The passenger or crew member in question. £2,500.
Section 33(1) of the Act  
To allow an officer to board and inspect an aircraft and all goods and documents carried in and relating to it. The commander of the aircraft. £2,500.
Section 33(2) of the Act  
To permit an officer to enter and inspect an aerodrome. The person in control of the aerodrome. £2,500.
Section 33(3) of the Act  
To keep the prescribed records of flights to and from that aerodrome; to permit an officer to make copies and take extracts from such records. The person in control of the aerodrome. £2,500.
Section 34(1) of the Act  
Any instructions given under section 34(1) of the Act. The commander of the aircraft. £2,500.
The owner of the aircraft. £2,500.”; and
(k) insert before “Goods brought into the customs territory (United Kingdom)”—“
Section 64(1) of the Act  
Except as permitted by Customs, no ship or aircraft requiring clearance under this section should depart from a port or customs and excise airport to a destination outside the member States and the Isle of Man, without a valid clearance. The master of the ship. £1,000.
The commander of the aircraft. £1,000.
Section 71(1) of the Act  
To deliver a report to the proper officer as directed. The master of the ship. £500.
Section 72(2) and (3)(b) of the Act  
Any requirement made under section 72(2) or (3)(b) of the Act. The master of the ship. £500.
Section 77(1) of the Act  
Any requirement made under section 77(1) of the Act. The person of whom the requirement is made. £1,000.
Section 78(1) of the Act  
(a) A person (P) entering the United Kingdom must, at such place and in such manner as Customs may direct, declare any thing contained in P’s baggage or carried with P which P has obtained outside the United Kingdom and in respect of which P is not entitled to exemption from duty and tax by virtue of any order under section 13 of the Customs and Excise Duties (General Reliefs) Act 1979 (personal reliefs). Any person. £1,000.
(b) A person (P) entering the United Kingdom must, at such place and in such manner as Customs may direct, declare any thing contained in P’s baggage or carried with P which, being dutiable goods or chargeable goods, P has obtained in the United Kingdom without payment of duty or tax and in respect of which P is not entitled to exemption from duty and tax by virtue of any order under section 13 of the Customs and Excise Duties (General Reliefs) Act 1979. Any person. £1,000.
Section 158(1) and (3) of the Act  
Provision and maintenance of appliances, facilities and fittings; keeping the appliances in an approved place; allowing use of the same at any time to a proper officer; all necessary assistance to be given. The person on whom the obligation falls. £1,000.
The Control of Movement of Goods Regulations 1984  
Not to move or interfere with goods to which the Regulations apply other than in accordance with the Regulations. The person moving or interfering with the goods. £2,500.”;
(l) for the entries headed “Articles 36a and 36b of the Code and Articles 183, 184a and 184c of the Implementing Regulation” substitute—“
Articles 36a and 36b of the Code and Articles 183, 184a and 184c of the Implementing Regulation  
Goods brought into the customs territory to be covered by a summary declaration, lodged within the applicable time-limits, by the prescribed means, to the prescribed office of entry and containing the requisite particulars. Where a declaration has not been lodged, the person upon whom the obligation to lodge the declaration falls. £1,000.
Where a declaration has been lodged, the person who lodges the declaration. £1,000.”;
(m) for the entries headed “Article 16 of the Code and Regulations 3 to 5 and 9 of the Accounts and Records Regulations” substitute—“
Article 16 of the Code, the Customs Traders (Accounts and Records) Regulations 1995  
To keep and preserve records as required by Article 16 of the Code and by the Regulations. The person upon whom the obligation falls. £1,000.”;
(n) for the entries headed “Article 105 of the Code and Articles 803 and 804 of the Implementing Regulation” substitute—“
Article 176 of the Code  
To keep stock records in the form approved by Customs. The designated person. £1,000.”;
(o) for the heading “Postal Packets” and the entries under it substitute—“
The Postal Packets (Revenue and Customs) Regulations 2011  
Regulations 17, 18(1) and 19  
All foreign postal packets (a) to be accompanied by a customs declaration in the appropriate form, completed in one of the permitted languages, legibly, accurately and in full, and(b) in the cases to which regulation 18(1) applies, to be labelled or distinguished as required by that regulation. The sender. £1,000.
The postal operator. £2,500.
Regulation 18(2)  
On accepting a packet satisfying the requirements of regulation 18(1) to give the sender a duly endorsed certificate of sending. The postal operator. £2,500.
Regulation 21  
When so requested by a customs officer, to produce any packet to that officer or open it for that officer’s examination. The postal operator. £2,500.
Regulation 22(3)  
To return, destroy or deliver up to Customs goods for which no proper account is given within the requisite period. The postal operator. £2,500.
Regulation 23  
To pay over to Customs any sums due to them recovered under section 105(3) of the Postal Services Act 2000. The postal operator. £2,500.”; and
(p) for “Community System of Duty Reliefs” and the entries under it substitute—“
Reliefs from customs duty and import VAT  
Articles 8, 16, 33, 48, 52, 64, 71, 72, 78, 79 of Council Regulation 1186/2009  
Not to lend, hire out, transfer or (in the case of Articles 8, 16 and 33) give as security goods admitted duty-free under the Regulation without(a) prior notification to Customs; and (b) payment of any import duties arising. In respect of non-notification: the person lending, hiring, transferring the goods or giving them as security. £1,000.
In respect of non-payment of duties: the person to whom the relief has been given. £1,000.
Articles 52, 65 and 80 of Council Regulation 1186/2009  
To inform Customs where the conditions for entitlement cease to be fulfilled or where the goods are to be used other than for the permitted purposes. The institution or organisation in question. £1,000.
The Customs and Excise (Personal Reliefs for Special Visitors) Order 1992  
The conditions for relief set out in the Order. The entitled person. £1,000.”.
Mark Lancaster
Gavin Barwell
Two of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Treasury
10th March 2015