CLECAT ATTENDS 73RD TCG PLENARY
On the 19th March CLECAT participated in the 73rd Plenary Meeting of the Trade Contact Group (TCG) organised by DG TAXUD. The meeting covered a broad range of trade and customs policy topics including CBAM, e-commerce and EU Customs Reform.
The Commission presented the latest implementation milestones on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), including the simplifications package adopted in December and the proposed extension of CBAM scope to downstream products. CLECAT intervened to urge the Commission to update the CBAM Frequently Asked Questions as a matter of priority. With the growing volume of new legislative texts, practitioners are facing an increasing number of operational questions that Member State competent authorities are not always able to answer. CLECAT stressed that Commission guidance is greatly needed, particularly given that the FAQ was last updated in December 2024.
The meeting also addressed the Maritime Industrial Strategy and the EU Ports Strategy, with colleagues from DG MOVE presenting both initiatives and underlining their importance for supply chain resilience, digitalisation, and the competitiveness of European maritime infrastructure.
The plenary continued with a presentation on centralised clearance and its interaction with VAT obligations. Participants then received an update on rules of origin in the context of the EU-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
On e-commerce, the Commission presented the results of the Priority Control Area (PCA) exercises, which revealed high non-compliance rates across product categories including toys, cosmetics, and food supplements.
Finally, the Commission provided a brief update on the temporary e-commerce measures associated with the abolition of the 150 EUR duty de minimis threshold, and on the expected amendments to the UCC Delegated and Implementing Acts intended to support the 1 July implementation deadline.
In its intervention, CLECAT acknowledged the political pressure DG TAXUD is under to address this challenge rapidly, but cautioned that the pace of regulatory change is placing significant operational and financial strain on European supply chain actors. CLECAT noted that while customs undisputedly remains the key control point for goods arriving directly to European consumers from third countries, it is neither equitable nor sustainable to concentrate all compliance obligations on EU service providers who are not party to the transactions generating these flows. CLECAT recommended greater use of transparency and public communication around enforcement results, as better-informed consumers could help ease the pressure on authorities and allow more time for legislators to design well-considered and effective control mechanisms.