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On 28 April, CLECAT’s Customs and Indirect Taxation Institute (CITI) met in a hybrid format to discuss important developments across Europe impacting customs and trade, including the ongoing war in Ukraine and the implementation of related EU sanctions against Russia and Belarus, as well as preparations for the next phase of post-Brexit UK controls on EU imports.

The CITI discussed a broad range of hot topics at EU level that impact the industry, including the latest developments regarding the European Commission’s proposals for EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). The CITI once again highlighted the importance of the proposal for European customs agents and agreed on the need to ensure that it adequately reflects the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders involved in the management of future CBAM obligations, without created undue burdens for CLECAT members. 

During the meeting, members also exchanged views on the recently published final report of the Customs Wise Persons Group to the European Commission, which produced 10 key recommendations on how to bring the EU Customs Union to the next level. The CITI expressed support to most of the forward-looking recommendations contained in the report of the WPG, whilst expressing a pinch of caution and scepticism about the practical realisation of some of the proposals contained therein. Members also discussed the implementation of the UCC Work Programme and reiterated their concerns over the delayed implementation of the national systems related to entry and import, which must be deployed by the end of this year. The CITI also reflected on the progress of implementation of other UCC projects, including ICS2 Release 2, AES-NCTS Phase 5, CCI Phase 1, as well as new initiatives such as the Smart Border Project and CBAM IT project.

Lastly, the meeting also reflected on relevant regulatory developments in EU member states, as well as EU-level discussions concerning new legislative initiatives and application of existing customs formalities, including, among others, the creation of Binding Valuation Information (BVI) across the EU and the application of the legal provisions on amendment of a customs declaration, temporary storage, and simplified declaration.