CLECAT URGES STRONGER COORDINATION AS EU CUSTOMS RULES CONTINUE TO EXPAND
On 10 July 2026, CLECAT participated in the 75th Plenary Meeting of the Trade Contact Group (TCG), hosted by DG TAXUD in Brussels. Discussions focused on e-commerce, the Customs Reform, CBAM, recent amendments to the UCC Implementing Act on preferential and non-preferential rules of origin, and the suspension of inward processing authorisations on sugar.
The Commission provided an update on CBAM implementation, including the legislative extension to downstream products currently with the co-legislators, authorisation volumetrics, the accreditation and verification framework, and the deduction of carbon prices paid in third countries. On the Customs Reform, the Commission reported on preparations for the EU Customs Authority and presented developments on the EU Customs Data Hub, including the ongoing procurement process. Associations raised questions on data quality, the evolving role of intermediaries, and future consultations. CLECAT underlined that customs professionals act as compliance filters, pointing to the difference in data quality between professionally filed and unfiltered submissions.
Under AOB, CLECAT CLECAT raised the growing impact of EU prohibitions and restrictions (P&R) legislation. While each new measure typically targets a specific product sector, freight forwarders and customs intermediaries are responsible for ensuring compliance across all regulatory regimes at the border. From this cross-sector perspective, CLECAT highlighted the increasing disconnect between the design of sector-specific legislation and the practical realities of customs implementation, and called for stronger horizontal coordination of the customs aspects of new EU legislation.
Building on the joint proposal submitted earlier this year for a dedicated coordination working group on prohibitions and restrictions, CLECAT and the co-signing associations will now develop more detailed concrete input, which they have offered to discuss with DG TAXUD to help ensure that customs procedures remain workable as amid the growing volume of P&R legislation.