Closer cooperation between Community tax authorities and between the latter and the Commission based on common principles is required to effectively combat excise duty fraud.

Regulation (EC) No 2073/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 November 2004 on administrative cooperation in the field of excise duties3 incorporates all the provisions designed to facilitate administrative cooperation in the field of excise duties contained in Directives 77/799/EEC4 and 92/12/EEC5 with the exception of mutual assistance provided for by Council Directive 76/308/EEC of 15 March 1976 on mutual assistance for the recovery of claims relating to certain levies, duties, taxes and other measures6.

Council Directive 2004/56/EC7 amending Directive 77/799/EEC requires Member States to bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with it before 1 January 2005. These provisions apply in the field of direct taxation, certain excise duties and taxation of insurance premiums. Since the Directive 77/799/EEC will not apply to excise duties, pursuant to this Directive, as from 1 July 2005, it is not appropriate that Member States be required to adopt provisions which are bound to cease to apply within a short time. Therefore, it is necessary to allow Member States not to adopt the provisions necessary to comply with Directive 2004/56/EC concerning excise duties, without prejudice to the obligation to adopt such provisions in respect of other taxes to which Directive 77/799/EC applies.

Directives 77/799/EEC and 92/12/EEC should therefore be amended accordingly,