Europos Sąjungos saugumo strategijos ir jų įtaka kovos su cigarečių kontrabanda Lietuvoje

LTStraipsnyje analizuojama Europos Sąjungos Komisijos Komunikatas „Dėl Europos Sąjungos kovos su cigarečių kontrabanda“ strategija, joje nustatytos priemonės ir veiksmai, kaip turi būti kovojama su nurodytomis problemomis ir veiksniais, sustiprinant kovą su neteisėta prekyba ES, padedant įgyvendinti šiuo metu taikomas priemones ir politiką. Vienas veiksmingiausių kovos su cigarečių kontrabandos nusikaltimais būdų – padaryti šią veiką ekonomiškai nenaudingą, neapsimokančią. Norint įgyvendinti Europos Sąjungos Komunikato strategiją, yra būtinas nacionalinių institucijų ir tarptautinis teisinis bendradarbiavimas tarp valstybių, siekiančių įvykdyti teisingumą. Cigarečių kontrabandos nusikalstamumas vis labiau kelia globalinę grėsmę valstybei, daro didžiulę žalą ekonomikai, todėl cigarečių kontrabandos kontrolė neturėtų būti fragmentiška, o kontrolės priemonės turėtų būti nuolatos atnaujinamos ir veiksmingos. [Iš leidinio]Reikšminiai žodžiai: Europos Komisija; Komunikatas; Kontrabanda; Cigarečių kontrabanda; Saugumo strategija; Kriminalistika; Teisėsaugos institucijos; European Union; European Commission; Communication; Smuggling; Cigarette smuggling; Security strategy; Criminalistics; International cooperation; Criminal proceedings; Law enforcement authorities; Europos Sąjunga (European Union).

ENThe article analyses the European Commission’s Communication on the European Union Strategy against cigarette smuggling and sets out measures and actions to tackle the problems and factors identified by stepping up the fight against illicit trade in the EU by supporting the implementation of the measures and policies currently in place. One of the most effective ways of combating cigarette smuggling is to make it economically unprofitable and useless. In order to implement the strategy of the Communication of the European Union, cooperation of national authorities and international legal cooperation between the states seeking to administer justice is essential. The crime of cigarette smuggling is increasingly becoming a global threat to the state causing enormous damage to the economy, therefore control over cigarette smuggling should not be fragmented and control measures should be constantly updated and effective. In our view, the current provisions of the strategies (of separate institutions) are possibly rather declaratory, abstract and inaccurate. The individual strategies do not provide for a link with other legislation or other issues. It must be assumed that the strategies of the individual institutions must be a kind of a vision that sets out the main objectives. Plans must be prepared for the implementation of strategies and they should present the specific measures, deadlines, resources, those in charge of implementation, etc. The author takes the position that in order to facilitate and speed up the implementation of the strategy, an inter-institutional coordination group (of public law enforcement authorities) for the implementation of the strategy against cigarette smuggling should be set up. It should coordinate and monitor the implementation of the action programme. Based on the conclusions of the coordination group, the strategy should be regularly reviewed and adapted to the changing environmental, economic and social factors.The action programme of the strategy of individual institutions must therefore be reviewed annually on the basis of: changes in laws; information from external factors; requirements of the Treaties of the European Union, other international institutions; from the point of view of the society. In summary, the following conclusions are to be drawn: the current strategies of individual authorities address the issue of legal regulation of cigarette smuggling in an uneven manner and in some cases raise serious doubts as to their lawfulness and validity. It needs to be assumed that there is a need for the development of the uniform strategy for individual law enforcement authorities in the fight against cigarette smuggling. It can be stated that our law enforcement authorities were not ready to respond quickly and adequately to the criminogenic changes in cigarette smuggling situations when assessing their perception of the strategies. Therefore, the State and its authorities are not yet in a position to ensure the effective investigation of cigarette smuggling crimes. It should be noted that the jumps in cigarette smuggling crimes due to the development of the market economy, Eurointegration processes were not properly assessed, and the reform of the institutional strategy was delay. The reforms of institutional strategies in the fight against cigarette smuggling were not scientifically justified. There was no common approach to investigating the crime of cigarette smuggling, and the strategies of individual law enforcement authorities as well as the single investigations of cigarette smuggling crimes presented only a fragmented reflection (which was not always adequate) of the existing situation. Cigarette smuggling not only requires development of the strategic aspects of detection of the criminal offence, but also requires a strategy for the implementation of the activities of the State and its institutions as a whole. [From the publication]