Projet

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ARTICLE 4

SPECIFIC ASSISTANCE

1. Upon request, a Customs Administration shall exercise surveillance of:

a. persons known to the requesting Administration to have committed a customs offense or suspected of doing so, particularly those moving into and out of the territory of the Contracting Party of the requesting Administration;

b. goods either in transport or in storage identified by the requesting Administration as giving rise to suspected illicit traffic towards or through the territory of the Contracting Party of the requesting Administration; and

c. means of transport suspected of being used in customs offenses within the territory of the Contracting Party of the requesting Administration.

2. Upon request, the Customs Administrations shall furnish to each other information

regarding activities that may result in customs offenses within the territory of the other Contracting Party. In situations that could involve substantial damage to the economy, public health, public security, or similar vital interest of the other Contracting Party, the Customs Administrations, wherever possible, shall supply such information without being requested to do so. Nothing in this Agreement otherwise precludes the Customs Administrations from providing on their own initiative information regarding activities that may result in customs offenses within the territory of the other Contracting Party.

3. The requested Administration may conduct, to the fullest extent possible, inspections,

verifications, fact-finding inquiries, or other investigative steps, including the questioning of experts, witnesses, and persons suspected of having committed a customs offense, as are necessary to execute a request. For greater certainty, the requested Administration reserves the right to determine whether to initiate such activities in response to a request.