International funding granted to Finnish Customs
In addition to appropriations awarded through the state budget, Customs finances its operations and procurements through different external instruments for financial support, mostly those of the European Union. Besides the EU, international funding is also granted by national and international funds, foundations, organisations and other government agencies.
EU programming period 2021-2027
During the programming period 2021-2027, Finnish Customs endeavours to use, as far as possible, the following international sources of funding: the instrument for financial support for customs control equipment (CCEI), the Internal Security Funds of the EU (ISF and BMVI), the European Anti-fraud Office (EUAF) and Eurostat.
Customs Control Equipment Instrument, CCEI
The aim of the instrument for financial support is to protect the financial interests of the EU and its member states, strengthen security and protect the Union from unfair and illegal trade. The instrument for financial support also serves the purpose of facilitating legitimate business activities. The specific objective is to harmonise customs control tools and methods throughout the EU. This objective materialises by purchasing, maintaining and updating relevant, reliable, state-of-the-art customs control equipment.
The project consists of 17 customs offices on the eastern border, the ports of Helsinki and Helsinki Airport. In the project, old customs control equipment is replaced with new ones, the control technology is updated and completely new control instruments are acquired. The reforms will improve Customs' ability to carry out customs controls, detect crime and ensure the security of society.
Project schedule: 1.9.2022-31.8.2026
Granted funding: 16 807 402 € (80% of the budget)
The project supported the acquisition of new measuring equipment for the Customs Laboratory and pre-processing equipment related to the automation of analytics. Measuring equipment can be used to analyse and identify, for example, new illegal substances, counterfeit foods and pesticides. The pre-processing equipment enables an increase in capacity and improves the analytical reliability of investigations into illegal imports.
Project schedule: 1.9.2022–31.8.2025
Granted funding: 1 624 000 € (80% of the budget)
Customs has received funding from the second round of the CCEI funding programme for equipment and system purchases for 20 different customs offices. The project will support the modernisation of customs control equipment and systems to meet current requirements. The equipment package to be acquired will significantly improve the control of highly taxed products imported into the EU and prevent narcotics and other dangerous substances from entering Finland.
Project schedule: 01.01.2025 – 31.12.2027
Granted EU funding: €16 771 203 (80% of budget)
The Customs Laboratory has received funding for 38 laboratory equipment from the second round of the CCEI funding programme. With the equipment to be acquired, the Customs Laboratory will be able to enhance the analysis of medicines, pesticides and contaminants, the identification of new illegal and hazardous substances, and the analysis of fuel and biofuel products. Sample preparation will also become more efficient and traceability will improve. The project started in April 2025 and immediate steps have been taken to promote procurements.
Project schedule: 01.04.2025 – 31.03.2028
Granted EU funding: €1 995 600 (80% of budget)
Internal Security Fund (ISF)
The fund contributes to strengthening the internal security of the EU by preventing cross border crimes such as cybercrimes, environmental crimes and crimes related to drugs, corruption and terrorism. The fund supports increasing the crisis resilience of the Union and preparedness for new threats, for example with regard to critical infrastructure. The crisis resilience is also strengthened by preventing phenomena that are detrimental to security, such as radicalisation. Actions for the protection of crime victims is also supported.
The amount of IT equipment and data used in criminal activities as well as the importance of the evidence obtained from them are constantly growing. As a response to the challenges of electronic investigation brought about by digital development, the project improved the operations and performance of IT investigations in customs crime prevention in order to combat serious and organised crime, especially cross-border crime.
Project schedule: 1 January 2024 – 31 December 2025
Granted EU funding: 757 613,62 € (75% of budget)
With support from the project, the technical surveillance equipment of Finnish Customs was modernised and expanded, and personnel were trained in the use of the equipment. The new equipment will improve Finnish Customs’ technical surveillance capabilities and performance in preventing, detecting and investigating serious and professional crime.
Project schedule: 1.12.2022–30.11.2025
Granted funding: 392 595 € (75% of the budget)
The project focuses on purchases of equipment for identification of pathogens and dangerous chemicals for Customs and on the necessary protective equipment for protection against them. Customs’ personnel will be trained in the use of the purchased devices and protective equipment. Through the project the number of the CBRN protective equipment in Customs will increase and the detection equipment will improve the ability to identify CBRN situations. The first meeting of the project was held on 4 December, 2023.
Project schedule: 1 December 2023 - 30 November 2026
Granted EU funding: 209 941 € (75% of budget)
Night vision equipment (binoculars) and flying equipment (drones) were purchased during the project, and Finnish Customs’ personnel were trained in their use. The equipment purchased will improve Finnish Customs’ ability to prevent, detect, and investigate serious and professional criminal activities, particularly cross-border crime, and to bring charges against suspects.
Project schedule: 1 January 2024 – 31 December 2025
Granted EU funding: 257 626 € (75% of budget)
Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy (BMVI)
BMVI’s mission is to support strong and effective European border management as well as to ensure a harmonised approach with regard to the issuance of visas. The goal is to prevent illegal immigration and cross-border crime, to facilitate legitimate border crossings, to effectively manage migratory movements as well as to anticipate and prevent security risks and threats.
The project involved upgrading the facilities used by Finnish Customs for border checks in Nuijamaa and Vaalimaa to meet the equipment requirements of the European Entry/Exit System (EES). In addition, structural changes were made to the customer service points in Nuijamaa and Vaalimaa to enable the use of new facial recognition cameras at border check points where Finnish Customs acts as the border control authority.
Project schedule: 1 July 2022 to 31 January 2023
Granted EU funding: EUR 106,125.75 (75% of the budget)
The objective is to ensure the operation of the camera surveillance system that the PCB authorities, i.e. the Police, Customs and the Border Guard, use for technical surveillance at national entry and exit points. Having a shared, centralised camera surveillance system for technical surveillance gives the PCB authorities a better joint situational picture of cross-border traffic. The system acts as a tool for maintaining border security and for combating and detecting crime and security threats.
Project schedule: 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2026
Granted EU funding: EUR 750,000 (100% of the budget; operating support)
The project involves the development of the Customs case management system, enabling Customs to use the information assets of the EES and ETIAS systems via the query interface of the Police’s Renki system. With the development work, the need for separate manual queries is eliminated, and the automation of the process makes the operations of the central access point more efficient and improves the quality of the data being processed.
Project schedule: 01.02.2025 – 31.01.2027
Granted EU funding: €110 701.65 (90%)
European Union Anti-Fraud Programme
The aim of the programme is to protect the economic interests of the EU by means such as supporting the fight against the smuggling of products subject to high taxes (e.g. cigarettes). The programme provides funding for purchasing specialised equipment, tools, and technologies in the following categories:
- Investigation and surveillance equipment and related methods
- Digital criminal investigation equipment
- Solutions for detecting illegal trade
- Procurement of data analytics technologies and databases
The project strengthened the technical investigation capabilities of Customs. Investigation capabilities were improved by automating and developing processes that enable e.g. a more effective exchange of information between different interest groups.
Project schedule: 1.7.2022–30.6.2025
Granted funding: 432 845 € (80% of the budget)
The project supported the enhancement of Customs' technical investigation capabilities, e.g. for analysing data masses.
Project schedule: 1.3.2023–28.2.2025
Granted funding: 302 906 € (80% of the budget)
The project allowed Finnish Customs to improve its ability to prevent, detect and investigate serious and professional criminal activities, including cross-border crime, and to bring charges against suspects. With support from the project, equipment was purchased for Finnish Customs' information gathering through surveillance, and Finnish Customs personnel were trained in its use. The project strengthened the performance of Finnish Customs' crime prevention activities in gathering information through surveillance.
Project schedule: 01.01.2024 – 31.12.2025
Granted EU funding: €704 000 (80% of budget)
Eurostat
As a service of the European Commission, Eurostat finances measures linked to the compilation of EU statistics by Member States. Customs Statistics receives funding for development projects concerning statistics on the foreign trade of goods.
EU programming period 2014-2020