IMCO DEBATES FUTURE CUSTOMS REFORM
On 8 September, the European Parliament’s IMCO Committee held an exchange of views on the state of play of the implementation of the UCC and the future of the Customs Union.
The first part of the exchange was dedicated to the conclusion of the interim evaluation of the implementation of the UCC legal and IT packages, published earlier this year. The Commission recognised that the assessment presented a mixed picture and concluded that the implementation of the UCC has only been partially successful. The Commission agreed with the urgency for actions to address the shortcomings revealed by the UCC evaluation and the pressing challenges for customs, such as ecommerce and the increasing non-fiscal tasks for customs. The Commission also insisted on using the political momentum when role and importance of EU customs are in the spotlight, following the Covid pandemic, the war in Ukraine and Brexit. During the second part of the meeting, the Chair of the Wise Persons Group (WPG) on Challenges Facing the Customs Union, Ms Arancha González, presented the final report of the group, and the rationale behind the recommendations on the way forward for EU Customs.
MEPs expressed large support for the customs reform, but also sought reassurance from the Commission that this time, the reform would be successful, considering the limited positive impact of the UCC. Referring to the WPG proposals, MEPs raised concerns about the political will that is needed to realise the high ambitions, and the readiness of Member States to cooperate for more uniformity in the EU and move the reform forward. Special attention was given to the proposal to create an EU customs agency and its roles and responsibilities, where MEPs highlighted the need to vest the agency with wider oversight and coordination roles, to contribute more effectively to better harmonisation.
The guiding principles for the reform, the Commission explained, will be that customs should have a better view on the supply chain; that additional information requirements should be more easily implemented; that legitimate trade should benefit from full automation; and that customs action should be more targeted, and system based. The Commission reassured the IMCO Committee members that it will show action and deliver by the beginning of December this year a package of legal proposals taking the Customs Union to the next level.