CLECAT JOINS DEBATES AT HUNGARIAN CUSTOMS CONFERENCE
CLECAT participated in the Magyar Vámügyi Szövetség (Hungarian Customs Association) Spring Customs Conference in Eger on 29–30 May 2026, one of Hungary's most important annual gatherings of customs and trade professionals.
On the first day, Eva Cartwright, CLECAT Senior Manager for Customs and Digitalisation, presented the latest EU Customs Reform developments, covering the final trilogue outcomes on customs representation, AEO and Trust & Check, the EU Customs Data Hub rollout timeline, and the new EUCA governance structure including its Customs Advisory Board.
The future of customs agents featured prominently in the discussion. Participants agreed that quality professional services will always retain their legitimacy among traders. The analogy with accountants and lawyers was raised: importers and exporters should have a genuine choice between outsourcing to qualified customs professionals or setting up their own customs departments, applying for a complex web of interdependent authorisations and financing costly IT systems. Customs agents deserve greater professional recognition to reflect the responsibility they carry.
On the second day, CLECAT joined a technical workshop with a high-level panel from the Hungarian customs authorities. The discussion confirmed what is increasingly evident across Member States: in a rapidly changing EU legislative environment, rules must be clear, straightforward and harmonised. Trade associations must work closely with their own national administrations to ensure that operational feedback reaches legislators at the earliest stage of the lawmaking process — before rules are cast and practical gaps emerge. It is customs officers, traders and service providers who absorb the consequences when policy targets and operational realities fail to meet.
CLECAT thanks MVSZ for the invitation and for a conference that combined strategic perspective with genuine operational depth.