Text 3 Electronic Declaration

Task I. Study the following words:

1. to enable – давать возможность, позволять;

2. a customer – клиент, заказчик;

3. advantage – преимущество;

4. electronic digital signature – электронная цифровая подпись;

5. state-of-the-art – современный; отвечающий современным требованиям;

6. soft- and hardware – программное обеспечение и компьютерное оборудование;

7. a high degree of data protection – высокая степень защиты данных;

8. means of remote access – средства отдалённого доступа;

9. customs authorities – таможенные власти;

10. foreign economic transaction – внешнеэкономическая операция, сделка;

11. automated information system (AIS) – автоматизированная информационная система;

12. an applicant – тот, кто подаёт заявление; декларант, заявитель;

Now read the text

The system of electronic declaration will enable our customers to submit customs declaration forms electronically from any point of the Russian Federation.

This service is provided by all departments of the National Customs Broker Company. The main advantages of using electronic declaration are:

• possibility to use paperless technologies;

• using electronic digital signature;

• opportunity of the customs broker to receive information from the customers by means of remote access.

All of these advantages were implemented as a result of using state-of-the-art soft- and hardware which provide not only for a high degree of data protection, but also for high-rate data communication.

These means include:

• subsystems of preparing electronic documents;

• subsystems of the customs authorities.

The information required for customs clearance and customs control, as a set of data on the foreign economic transaction, encrypted and signed with an electronic signature, are transmitted in XML format to the subsystem of the customs authority through a firewall limiting access from the subsystem of preparing electronic documents to the subsystem of the customs authority. Each subsystem has a three-link architecture based on thin-client web technology.

The main components of the electronic declaration system are:

- database server (information storage layer);

- application server (application layer);

- client-side browser (data interpretation and representation layer).

Database server provides for data replication between the nodes, located at various levels of the corporate automated information system (AIS) hierarchy, and the storage of system data, user data, and Oracle stored procedures. The database server communicates to the application server using JDBC protocol.

The application server includes a web server, a security server, and some functional subsystems. The representation of the data to the inspector and the applicant and their access to the system is performed using a web browser.

NOTES:

1. to transmit in XML format – передавать в формате XML;

2. a firewall limiting access – комп. фаерволл/ брандмауэр, ‘защитник'; обеспечивает стойкую криптозащиту, авторизацию;

3. a three-link architecture - комп. трехзвенная архитектура;

4. thin-client web technology – клиентская часть трехзвенной архитектуры 'клиент – сервер'; поддерживает пользовательский интерфейс;

5. browser – веб-обозреватель, браузер; программное обеспечение для просмотра веб-сайтов;

6. node – узел;

7. JDBC protocol – протокол соединения (с использованием Java приложения).

Task II. Match left and right.

электронная подпись	customs clearance
слой (уровень) хранения информации	client-side browser
сервер базы данных	encrypted data
сервер безопасности	information storage layer
таможенная очистка	data replication
технологии ‘безбумажного’ офиса	security server
браузер клиента	to submit customs declaration
подавать таможенную декларацию	paperless technologies
зашифрованные (с целью защиты) данные	electronic signature
копирование информации	database server

Task III. Answer the following questions.

1. What are the main advantages of using electronic declaration?

2. What are the main components of the electronic declaration system?

3. How does it work?

4. What does database server provide?

5. What does the application server include?

Task IV. Complete the following sentences using the text.

1. The system of electronic declaration will enable our customers to _______.

2. The main advantages of using electronic declaration are _______.

3. All of these advantages were implemented as a result of ________.

4. Each subsystem has a three-link architecture based on ________.

5. The main components of the electronic declaration system are _______.

Task V. Translate the Russian words in the following article into English.

Choose from: violations; automated admission points; representatives; implementing; measures; Automated Customs Transit Control System; movement of goods; schedule; agreement; electronic exchange; infrastructure; Federal Customs Service.

Федеральная таможенная служба chief Andrey Belyaninov, speaking at a meeting of a working group of Russian and Finnish customs officials, has complained that the European Union is stalling an обмен электронными данными among the customs agencies of Russia and its EU neighbours of information on the перемещение товаров across their borders.

EU spokesmen have retorted that a график for such an exchange was worked out in April of the last year and the information exchange will go into effect in January 2009.

“The EU is still not really interested in применение such technology (as electronic information exchange) on a wide scale,” and is making excuses to avoid it, Belyaninov told at the meeting.

In addition to information exchange, меры will be taken to develop transportation инфраструктура jointly and reduce нарушения. Steps will be taken using EU money to ensure that Russia's new автоматизированная система контроля таможенного транзита is compatible with the EU's New Computerized Transit System. The EU will also invest ˆ40 million in автоматизированные пункты пропуска on the Russian border with Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

Federal Customs Service press secretary Alexander Smelyakov explained that the agency head was only expressing his regret that the соглашение with the EU will not come into force any sooner. EU представители declined to comment on Belyaninov's words at all.

Task VI. Scan the article above to answer the questions.

1. What matters were discussed at the meeting between Russian and Finnish customs officials?

2. Why is the EU still not really interested in implementing such technology (as electronic information exchange) on a wide scale?

3. What new technologies were mentioned in the article?

Task VII. Translate into Russian.

The New Computerized Transit System (NCTS) is a Europe-wide computer system that enables traders to submit Community/Common Transit (CT) declarations electronically. CT can be used to suspend customs and excise duties and VAT on goods until either they reach their point of destination in the European Community (EC) or are exported out of it. Traders in the EC and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) must use NCTS during CT movements, although there are some permitted exceptions.