ec.europa.eu Open in urlscan Pro
2a01:7080:24:100::666:30  Public Scan

Form analysis
1 forms found in the DOM

GET https://ec.europa.eu/search/index.do?

<form _ngcontent-c2="" accept-charset="UTF-8" action="https://ec.europa.eu/search/index.do?" class="ecl-search-form ecl-site-header__search" id="nexteuropa-europa-search-search-form" method="get" ngnoform=""><label _ngcontent-c2=""
    class="ecl-search-form__textfield-wrapper"><span _ngcontent-c2="" class="ecl-u-sr-only">Search this website</span><input _ngcontent-c2="" class="ecl-text-input ecl-search-form__textfield" id="edit-querytext" maxlength="128" name="QueryText"
      title="Search" type="search" value=""></label><button _ngcontent-c2="" class="ecl-button ecl-button--form ecl-search-form__button" id="edit-europa-search-submit" name="op" type="submit" value="Search">Search</button><input _ngcontent-c2=""
    name="swlang" type="hidden" value="en"></form>

Text Content

An official website of the European UnionAn official EU websiteHow do you know?

All official European Union website addresses are in the europa.eu domain.

See all EU institutions and bodies

This site uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. Find out more
on how we use cookies.

Accept all cookies Accept only essential cookies
Skip to main content
Home - European Commission
Englishen
Search this websiteSearch
You are here:
 1. Home
    
 2. Press corner
 3. EU Customs Reform


Available languages:
българскиčeštinadanskDeutscheestiελληνικάEnglishespañolfrançaisGaeilgehrvatskiitalianolatviešulietuviųmagyarMaltiNederlandspolskiportuguêsromânăslovenčinaslovenščinasuomisvenska
Press release17 May 2023Brussels


EU CUSTOMS REFORM: A DATA-DRIVEN VISION FOR A SIMPLER, SMARTER AND SAFER CUSTOMS
UNION

Page contents
Top
 * Top
   
 * Quote(s)
   
   
   
 * Print friendly pdf
   
   
   
 * Contacts for media

The Commission has today put forward proposals for the most ambitious and
comprehensive reform of the EU Customs Union since its establishment in 1968.

The measures proposed today present a world-leading, data-driven vision for EU
Customs, which will massively simplify customs processes for business,
especially for the most trustworthy traders. Embracing the digital
transformation, the reform will cut down on cumbersome customs procedures,
replacing traditional declarations with a smarter, data-led approach to import
supervision. At the same time, customs authorities will have the tools and
resources they need to properly assess and stop imports which pose real risks to
the EU, its citizens and its economy.

Today's reform responds to the current pressures under which EU Customs
operates, including a huge increase in trade volumes, especially in e-commerce,
a fast-growing number of EU standards that must be checked at the border, and
shifting geopolitical realities and crises. It will make the customs framework
fit for a greener, more digital era and contribute to a safer and more
competitive Single Market. The reform simplifies and rationalises customs
reporting requirements for traders, for example by reducing the time needed to
complete import processes and by providing one single EU interface and
facilitating data re-use. In this way, it helps deliver on President von der
Leyen's aim to reduce such burdens by 25%, without undermining the related
policy objectives.

A new EU Customs Authority will oversee an EU Customs Data Hub which will act as
the engine of the new system. Over time, the Data Hub will replace the existing
customs IT infrastructure in EU Member States, saving them up to €2 billion a
year in operating costs. The new Authority will also help deliver on an improved
EU approach to risk management and customs checks.

A new partnership with business

In the reformed EU Customs Union, businesses that want to bring goods into the
EU will be able to log all the information on their products and supply chains
into a single online environment: the new EU Customs Data Hub. This cutting-edge
technology will compile the data provided by business and – via machine
learning, artificial intelligence and human intervention – provide authorities
with a 360-degree overview of supply chains and the movement of goods.

At the same time, businesses will only need to interact with one single portal
when submitting their customs information and will only have to submit data once
for multiple consignments. In some cases where business processes and supply
chains are completely transparent, the most trusted traders (‘Trust and Check'
traders) will be able to release their goods into circulation into the EU
without any active customs intervention at all. The Trust & Check category
strengthens the already existing Authorised Economic Operators (AEO) programme
for trusted traders.

This new partnership with business is a world-first. It is a powerful new tool
to support EU businesses, trade and the EU's open strategic autonomy. The EU
Customs Data Hub will allow goods to be imported into the EU with minimum
customs intervention, without compromising on safety, security or anti-fraud
requirements.

Under the proposals, the Data Hub will open for e-commerce consignments in 2028,
followed (on a voluntary basis) by other importers in 2032, leading to immediate
benefits and simplifications. Trust & Check traders will also be able to clear
all of their imports with the customs authorities of the Member State in which
they are based, no matter where the goods enter the EU. A review in 2035 will
assess whether this possibility can be extended to all traders when the Hub
becomes mandatory as from 2038.

A smarter approach to customs checks

The proposed new system will give customs authorities a bird's-eye view of the
supply chains and production processes of goods entering the EU. All Member
States will have access to real-time data and will be able to pool information
to respond more quickly, consistently and effectively to risks.

Artificial intelligence will be used to analyse and monitor the data and to
predict problems before the goods have even started their journey to the EU.
This will allow EU customs authorities to focus their efforts and resources
where they are needed most: to stop unsafe or illegal goods from entering the
Union and to uphold the growing number of EU laws that ban certain goods that go
against common EU values – for example in the field of climate change,
deforestation, forced labour, to give just a few examples. It will also help to
ensure proper collection of duties and taxes, to the benefit of national and EU
budgets.

To help Member States prioritise the right risks and coordinate their checks and
inspections – especially during times of crisis – information and expertise will
be pooled and assessed at EU level via the new EU Customs Authority acting on
the data provided through the EU Customs Data Hub. The new regime will
substantially improve cooperation between customs and market surveillance and
law enforcement authorities at EU and national level, including through
information sharing via the Customs Data Hub.

A more modern approach to e-commerce

Today's reform will make online platforms key actors in ensuring that goods sold
online into the EU comply with all customs obligations. This is a major
departure from the current customs system, which puts the responsibility on the
individual consumer and carriers. Platforms will be responsible for ensuring
that customs duties and VAT are paid at purchase, so consumers will no longer be
hit with hidden charges or unexpected paperwork when the parcel arrives. With
online platforms as the official importers, EU consumers can be reassured that
all duties have been paid and that their purchases are safe and in line with EU
environmental, safety and ethical standards.

At the same time, the reform abolishes the current threshold whereby goods
valued at less than €150 are exempt from customs duty, which is heavily
exploited by fraudsters. Up to 65% of such parcels entering the EU are currently
undervalued, to avoid customs duties on import.

The reform also simplifies customs duty calculation for the most common
low-value goods bought from outside the EU, reducing the thousands of possible
customs duty categories down to only four. This will make it much easier to
calculate customs duties for small parcels, helping platforms and customs
authorities alike to better manage the one billion e-commerce purchases entering
the EU each year. It will also remove the potential for fraud. The new,
tailor-made e-commerce regime is expected to bring additional customs revenues
to the tune of €1 billion per year.

Background

Today's reform delivers on President von der Leyen's promise ‘to bring EU
Customs to the next level' and builds in particular on the recommendations made
by the Wise Person's Group on the Future of Customs in 2022.  

 The legislative proposals will now be sent to the European Parliament and the
Council of the European Union for agreement, and to the European Economic and
Social Committee for consultation.

For more information

Q&A MEMO

Factsheet

EU Customs Reform webpage on DG TAXUD's website, including the Communication and
legislative texts


QUOTE(S)

> Today’s long-awaited reform is part of our plan to strengthen the EU’s open
> strategic autonomy. It will enable EU customs to better defend our financial
> and economic interests, while ensuring the safety and security of goods
> entering the EU. It will also facilitate trade, making it easier for all
> operators to do business in and outside the EU. Global challenges such as
> climate change, e-commerce and illicit trade need a global response and more
> modern and efficient customs procedures worldwide. This is why our package
> also calls for the WTO and the WCO to make progress in this direction.
> 
> Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis - 16/05/2023


> The EU Customs Union has been at the heart of EU integration for the past 55
> years. In the face of new challenges and threats, today we are equipping
> ourselves with another tool to speed up trade flows and support our economic
> recovery. This far-reaching reform will reduce red tape and compliance costs
> for businesses, create more transparency and certainty for EU citizens when
> shopping online, and introduce simpler and innovative processes for the
> authorities.
> 
> Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni - 16/05/2023



PRINT FRIENDLY PDF

EU Customs Reform
English (41.954 kB - PDF)
Download (41.954 kB - PDF)


CONTACTS FOR MEDIA

   

 * DANIEL FERRIE
   
   Phone
   +32 2 298 65 00
   Mail
   daniel.ferrie@ec.europa.eu

 * FRANCESCA DALBONI
   
   Phone
   +32 2 298 81 70
   Mail
   Francesca.DALBONI@ec.europa.eu

If you do not work for a media organisation, you are welcome to contact the EU
through Europe Direct in writing or by calling 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11.
IP/23/2643
Share this page:
 * Twitter
 * Facebook
 * LinkedIn
 * E-mail

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

 * European Commission website

FOLLOW THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION

 * Facebook
 * Twitter
 * Other social media

EUROPEAN UNION

 * EU institutions
 * European Union

 * About the Commission's new web presence
 * Language policy
 * Resources for partners
 * Cookies
 * Privacy policy
 * Legal notice
 * Contact

Version: 1.0.12 Last modified: Mon Apr 17 2023 09:50:30 GMT+0000 (GMT)