In this interview, Peter Wilmott, Director-General of Taxation and Customs Union, recalls his six years in the European Commission between 1990 and 1996. His key task was preparing for the effects on customs and indirect taxation of the removal of internal frontier checks in January 1993. He highlights the importance of the informal networks he established with national customs and tax officials for this task. Also touched upon in the interview are Christine Scrivener, the customs implications of German reunification, the difficulties of acquiring new staff and equipment for IT tasks within the European Commission, the post-1993 efforts of the European Commission to export its technocratic expertise in this field to countries outside of the EU, the differences between Delors’ presidency and that of Jacques Santer, and Mario Monti and his cabinet.