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CLECAT took part in the Customs Ecosystem Conference held in Vilnius this week, organised by the Lithuanian Customs Practitioners Association (LCPA) and the Lithuanian Customs Administration.  -The event brought together customs administrations, business, academia, and associations for two days of discussions on the future of customs and trade facilitation. The conference offered a clear reality check on the state of trade and customs with trade facilitation facing growing challenges in a world of prohibitions, sanctions, tariffs, and growing complexity. In this evolving environment, collaboration and professionalism among all actors in the customs ecosystem are more important than ever.

The programme included several interactive workshops and panels on topics such as artificial intelligence in customs risk management, the reform of the EU Customs Code, and building trust between business and administrations. CLECAT contributed to the session on associations, highlighting the strong cooperation among stakeholders in Brussels to ensure that policymakers understand and reflect the realities of business - and to help make the EU Customs Code fit for the future. Exchanges with DG TAXUD B1 Director Philippe Duponteil also underlined the importance of conducting an impact assessment of the UCC Work Programme, in particular the implementation of ICS2, to draw lessons before moving forward with the EU Customs Data Hub.

CLECAT reiterated its overall support for the ongoing Customs Reform, while noting that several issues remain unresolved and represent missed opportunities to create a truly modern, fair, and business-friendly framework. While welcoming the progress made in the Council’s mandate, CLECAT continues to call for improvements, including clear separation of liabilities already assigned under sectoral legislation (e.g. Product Safety, Forced Labour, EUDR) from those defined by customs law. Where a sectoral representative is designated, that framework must prevail to avoid overlapping responsibilities for customs representatives.  Intermediaries who ensure awareness, compliance and, above all, data accuracy are today a key pillar of the Customs Union, and the role and added value of their work must not be underestimated in any future design.

Finally, the discussions in Vilnius confirmed that customs reform is not only about systems and data;  it is about people, and the shared commitment of the customs community to building a smarter and more resilient customs environment for Europe.