MAKSU- JA TOLLIAMET

Their core work

The Estonian Tax and Customs Board is Estonia's national authority responsible for tax collection, customs enforcement, and border security. In the H2020 context, they contribute operational expertise in detecting illicit financial flows, customs risk management, and cargo screening. They serve as an end-user and practitioner partner, bringing real-world law enforcement and customs experience to research consortia developing tools against tax crimes, money laundering, and smuggling.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early projects (2018) focused on tax crime prosecution methods, crypto-currency threats, and customs data sharing across borders — essentially modernizing traditional enforcement with data-driven approaches. By 2021, their focus shifted toward more advanced detection technologies: AI-powered financial crime tracking, passive scanning hardware for border control, and e-evidence collection. The trajectory shows a move from policy and data analytics toward operational technology deployment at borders and in financial investigations.

Moving toward AI-assisted enforcement and non-intrusive detection technologies, making them increasingly relevant for security technology pilots and validation.

How they like to work

They participate exclusively as a partner, never as coordinator — consistent with their role as a government end-user that validates and tests research outputs in real operational settings. With 57 unique partners across 24 countries, they engage in large, diverse consortia rather than tight bilateral collaborations. This broad network suggests they are sought after as a practitioner voice that grounds research in actual customs and law enforcement needs.

Extensive network of 57 partners across 24 countries, reflecting participation in large pan-European security consortia. Their reach spans nearly all EU member states, typical of Horizon security projects that require multi-national law enforcement cooperation.

What sets them apart

As a national tax and customs authority from a digitally advanced Baltic state, they bring both operational credibility and a reputation for e-governance innovation. Estonia's digital-first public administration makes their customs board a particularly compelling end-user partner for testing digital enforcement tools. They offer a rare combination: a government body that is both a regulatory authority and a willing technology adopter.

Highlights from their portfolio

• TRACE
  Largest funding (EUR 120,500) and most technically ambitious — combines AI, knowledge graphs, and e-evidence to track illicit financial flows and money laundering.
• SilentBorder
  Uses cosmic ray tomography for passive, non-intrusive scanning of trucks and containers — a physics-based approach to customs detection that requires no radiation source.
• PEN-CP
  Long-running network (2018-2025) building a pan-European community of customs practitioners, giving them sustained influence in customs innovation policy.