Brexit: EU refunds are on the way – 44 million for the Customs Agency
The funds, which have already been credited, cover the additional costs incurred by the Adm between January 2021 and September 2023 in managing customs checks on goods in transit to and from the United Kingdom
Five years after the United Kingdom’s exit from the European single market, the administrative costs generated by Brexit have been reflected in the accounts of the Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM). It has received over 44 million euros from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR), the fund set up by the European Union to mitigate the economic and social consequences of the UK’s withdrawal.
Higher costs between 2021 and 2023
The funds, which have already been allocated, cover the additional costs incurred by the Adm between January 2021 and September 2023 in managing customs checks on goods in transit to and from the United Kingdom.
The refund request
The process leading up to the payment took around three years. The Customs Directorate worked with the Agency for Territorial Cohesion – now the Department for Cohesion Policies within the Prime Minister’s Office – to access the share of funds allocated by the European Commission.
Following the signing of an agreement, the application went through three levels of scrutiny, which were necessary to accurately quantify the additional expenditure and to draw up the project dossier to be submitted to Brussels. The Commission ultimately deemed the reported expenditure eligible.
No spending limits
These are compensatory funds that are not earmarked for any specific purpose: the Adm may therefore use them in accordance with its organisational and operational needs, whilst adhering to the principles of sound financial management.
