DG TAXUD PUBLISHES UPDATES ON PROOF OF UNION STATUS AND MARITIME NATIONAL SINGLE WINDOW
The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union (DG TAXUD) has issued an update on the ongoing digitalisation of customs processes, specifically concerning the Proof of Union Status (PoUS) system and the Maritime National Single Window (MNSW). These developments are part of the EU’s broader customs reform agenda, aimed at reducing paperwork, streamlining procedures, and ensuring greater transparency for businesses engaged in maritime transport.
PoUS Phase 2 went live on 15 August 2025. While Phase 1, launched in March 2024, digitised T2L/T2LF certificates and has already registered more than 660,000 proofs, Phase 2 adds the possibility to submit Customs Goods Manifest (also called the Customs Goods Manifest Form - CGM/CGMF) data for goods transported by sea. This can be done through the PoUS Specific Trader Portal, providing a digital way to prove Union status while Member States finalise their maritime IT systems.
Because MNSW roll-out is taking place over an 18-month period, there is not yet an electronic connection between MNSW and PoUS in most countries. This means vessels leaving and re-entering EU waters cannot automatically have their Union status validated. The Commission has therefore announced in a recent statement that transitional arrangements for using the CGM as proof of status will continue beyond 15 August 2025. Operators should check with their national authorities on which interim approach applies, as practices will vary until the MNSW connection is in place.
In the final set-up, maritime declarations made to MNSW will include CGM/CGMF data, which will be automatically forwarded to PoUS. PoUS will then validate and store the proof of Union status, avoiding duplicate submissions and supporting faster clearance when goods re-enter EU territory. Until this link is operational, proofs must still be provided via the PoUS portal or according to national arrangements.
For logistics professionals, this means that during the transition period different procedures may apply depending on the port. Where the MNSW-PoUS link is not yet active, manual submissions through PoUS or other temporary solutions remain necessary. This underlines the importance of coordinating responsibilities between carriers, agents and terminals for providing CGM data and ensuring that proofs of Union status are available to avoid goods being treated as non-Union.
Source: DG TAXUD