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CLECAT participated in the Franco-Dutch Customs Forum last week in Rotterdam, bringing together representatives of the French and Dutch customs administrations and the private sector to exchange views on some of the most pressing developments in customs policy and practice. CLECAT attended alongside its members FENEX (Netherlands) and TLF Overseas (France), underlining the importance of close cooperation between customs authorities and the freight forwarding and logistics sector.

The discussions focused on the changing role of customs in an increasingly digital and highly regulated trading environment. One of the key themes was the growing importance of data exchange across supply chains. While digitalisation creates new opportunities to facilitate trade and improve risk management, participants also reflected on questions of data governance and the role of different actors in managing commercially sensitive information.

Another important topic was the steady expansion of non-fiscal regulatory requirements. During the discussions, Florian Colas, Director General of French Customs, observed that the distinction between traditional customs responsibilities and so-called non-customs tasks has largely disappeared. Today, customs authorities play a central role in monitoring compliance with a wide range of EU legislation, making regulatory enforcement an integral part of modern customs operations.

The forum also provided an opportunity to FENEX to present the Dutch Overleg Douane Bedrijfsleven, the long-standing structured dialogue between Dutch Customs and the business community. This is an example on how continuous engagement between public authorities and industry can help identify implementation challenges early, improve mutual understanding and contribute to more practical policy outcomes.

Throughout the discussions, participants repeatedly noted that effective customs policy is built not only on legislation and digital systems, but also on trust and cooperation. Strong personal relationships, early engagement, open communication and transparency about differing views remain essential ingredients for successful public-private partnerships.

As customs authorities continue to take on new responsibilities linked to the implementation of EU regulatory frameworks, maintaining this close dialogue will be increasingly important to ensure that legislation is both effective and workable in practice.