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The National Tax and Customs Administration (NTCA) of Hungary hosted a High-Level Seminar (HLS) for customs directors-general from 16-18 October 2024 in Budapest. The event gathered senior customs officials from EU Member States, high-ranking representatives from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union (DG TAXUD), and officials from the Hungarian Ministry of Finance. The seminar focused on enhancing the competitiveness of the Customs Union through strengthened cooperation and innovative reforms.

Over two days, participants engaged in discussions on e-commerce, IT developments, and trust-based facilitations, highlighting pressing issues in customs administration. The e-commerce panel addressed the strain that increasing cross-border transactions place on customs resources, emphasising the need for robust support to handle rising volumes with limited human and financial capacities.

In the IT developments panel, experts underscored the critical importance of data security and the risks associated with cloud storage. They noted that future advancements in technology, though challenging to forecast, will be pivotal in shaping a secure digital infrastructure for the Customs Union. The establishment of the EU Customs Authority (EUCA) and the EU Customs Data Hub (EUDH) were spotlighted as key enablers to these reforms. Participants also discussed the role of trust-based facilitations in enhancing EU competitiveness. Simplifying processes for compliant businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), was a key focus, as SMEs often face unique challenges due to resource constraints.

Source : Hungarian Presidency