The order of paragraphs in the text below has been jumbled. Go over the text to bring back its logical order. Discuss your version with your partner. Maybe you will find more than one variant of ordering the text. Provide enough argumentation to support your ideas.
Transit and logistics at Customs
[1] A transport operator crossing the Belarus-Russian and Russian-Kazakhstan borders does not face the necessity to undergo customs control and to complete the national transit declaration. The single system of delivery control has been established. The exchange of electronic messages between the customs of departure and the customs of destination has eliminated the need to transmit paper documents.
[2] In practice the goods imported onto the RF customs territory can be placed under the procedure of customs transit in Russia and forwarded to Belarus or Kazakhstan without completing any additional transit customs declarations when entering the territories of these countries.
[3] The necessity to use advantages of logistics in modern customs environment is stipulated by the requirement to reduce the time of customs services and therefore the delivery of goods to users.
[4] The adoption of the Customs Code helped to unify the transit formalities related to crossing the borders of the Customs Union member-countries – the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Kazakhstan. The standard transit declaration form has been adopted which is in full conformity with the transit declaration form applied by the EU.
Render the text in English. Suggest a title to the text.
Федеральная таможенная служба (ФТС России) – федеральный орган исполнительной власти, осуществляющий в соответствии с законодательством Российской Федерации функции по контролю и надзору в области таможенного дела, а также функции агента валютного контроля и специальные функции по борьбе с контрабандой, иными преступлениями и административными правонарушениями.
11 мая 2006 указом Президента Российской Федерации Федеральная таможенная служба была передана в подчинение Правительству Российской Федерации. Ранее ФТС России была подчинена Министерству экономического развития и торговли.
На ФТС возложены следующие основные функции: ведение реестров и выдача свидетельств и разрешений на право деятельности в определённых сферах таможенного дела; осуществление таможенного оформления и контроля; классификация товаров в соответствии с товарной номенклатурой внешнеэкономической деятельности; борьба с правонарушениями в области таможенного дела; бесплатные консультативные услуги участникам внешнеэкономической деятельности; взимание таможенных платежей (пошлин и налоговых сборов).
Территориальная структура ФТС России такова:
- региональные таможенные управления;
- региональные таможни;
- таможенные посты;
- таможни центрального подчинения (например, таможни московских аэропортов, Центральная акцизная таможня и др.).
(From: http://ru.wikipedia.org)
Role-playing
Inform your partner on the principles, functions, administrative and territorial structure of the customs service in Russia. Discuss what changes could be made to improve the FCS structure.
Case-study/Project
Review the text and browse the Internet to draw an organization chart of the FCS of the Russian Federation. Follow the chart you have drawn to speak in class on the principles of the FCS seniority and functioning.
Self-assessment grid
| Tick (✓) “Yes” or “No” answers in appropriate columns and lines to self-assess your knowledge and skills. | Yes | No |
| I know: | ||
| - the topical vocabulary “The Federal Customs Service”; | ||
| - the structure and functions of the Federal Customs Service; | ||
| - archaic words with the elements here- and there-; | ||
| - some features of the formal style of writing. | ||
| I can: | ||
| - use the modal verb shall to express obligation; | ||
| - re-order the jumbled paragraphs in a text; | ||
| - retell a brief newspaper article; | ||
| - speak on the principles of the FCS seniority and functioning; | ||
| - make a project (draw an organization chart of the FCS). | ||
| Total number of positive/negative answers: | ||
Module 12
Pre-reading issues
1. What is the mission of the customs?
2. Do you know anything about the history of the customs?
3. How different is the customs from other organizations?
