On Wednesday 11 April, three Dutch regulators took the State Inspection Terminal (SIT) into operation in the port of Rotterdam. The SIT allows Dutch Customs to work together with the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) and the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) from a single location. The three regulators can combine their respective checks here – creating a ‘one stop shop’ for the transport and logistics sector.
The official opening ceremony was conducted by State Secretary of Finance Snel. “Thanks to closer collaboration between the regulators at this new terminal, we can reduce the inspection burden for the private sector and improve the Netherlands’ appeal as a business location,” according to the junior Cabinet member.
The establishment of the SIT is Dutch Customs’ response to the increase in cargo volumes as a result of the construction of Maasvlakte 2. For example, over the past year the number of containers put through Rotterdam’s western port area rose from 12.4 to 13.7 million TEU. The new site allows the agencies to swiftly carry out the required inspections.
The SIT complex also features a new, state-of-the-art National Field Training Centre for Dutch Customs staff. Here, trainee customs officials can train in a variety of simulated practice-based settings, including an entire ship’s interior and a realistic container environment. The centre also accommodates a training circuit for Dutch Customs’ sniffer dogs.
The SIT was realised in close collaboration with the Central Government Real Estate Agency.