The EU has approved customs reform: an agency, a hub and a levy on parcels

This was reported by the press service of the Council of the EU.

It is noted that the co-legislators have agreed on legislation to establish a single, modern EU customs data centre – a central platform for importers and exporters to interact with customs authorities across the European Union.

This is expected to enhance data integrity, traceability and customs control. Importers and exporters will only need to submit customs information once via a single portal, rather than submitting documents to individual national customs authorities. They will also be able to enter the same information for multiple consignments, which should save time and money.

Under the terms of the agreement, the data centre will begin covering e-commerce goods from 1 July 2028. The phased implementation is set to cover all movements of goods by 1 March 2034.

A new decentralised customs authority – the EU Customs Agency – will be established in the French city of Lille to oversee the EU Customs Data Centre whilst supporting the risk management activities of national customs authorities.

With the support of the EU customs authority, Member States will have access to the same data in real time and will be able to pool information for a faster, more consistent and more effective response to risks.

The agency will be established on the day the General Regulation enters into force.

As part of the reform, the EU will also introduce enhanced customs simplifications for ‘most trusted traders’. Under this scheme, companies that provide comprehensive information on the movement of goods and their compliance with requirements, as well as meeting other strict criteria, will benefit from simplified customs obligations, including simplified procedures for temporary storage and transit.

Such companies will be able to release their goods for circulation in the EU without any active intervention by customs.

Separately, the EU will introduce a new pan-European fee for the processing of items contained in small parcels imported into the EU.

The level of this fee will be determined by a delegated act of the European Commission prior to its application by EU Member States no later than 1 November 2026.

The new rules also clarify that it is the platforms and sellers who sell goods remotely in the EU, for example via e-commerce platforms, rather than end consumers, who will be considered importers of the goods and will be responsible for fulfilling all customs formalities and payments.

The legislation will also include a new system of financial penalties for e-commerce operators who systematically fail to comply with customs obligations.

“Today’s agreement marks the biggest reform since the creation of the Customs Union in 1968. The new Union Customs Code will enable us to address the numerous challenges posed by new geopolitical realities, whilst ensuring economic security. Once adopted, this modern toolkit will facilitate trade and ensure the proper collection of customs duties in a simplified manner and with the necessary legal certainty,” said Makis Keravnos, Minister of Finance of the Republic of Cyprus, whose country currently holds the EU Council presidency.

As a next step, the Council of the EU and the European Parliament will continue to work on finalising the technical elements of the package before its final adoption by the co-legislators.

The new customs legislation will enter into force 12 months after its publication in the Official Journal of the EU.

As is well known, for over 50 years the EU customs union has operated through national customs authorities that cooperate with one another. As one of the world’s largest trading blocs, the EU customs union covers trade worth over €4.3 trillion, accounting for around 14% of global trade.

In 2024, 2,140 customs units collected nearly €27 billion in customs duties. In the same year, EU customs authorities identified 64,000 cases where goods posed a risk to consumer health and seized 112 million counterfeit goods.

As a reminder, the European Union has initiated a process to become one of the founding members of a Special Tribunal to investigate Russia’s crime of aggression against Ukraine.