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On 24 June, at the World Customs Organization’s (WCO) Council session, the EU presented for the first time its initiative for broad reform of the organization. The initiative aims to help strengthen the WCO's position as a key multilateral institution and help it to address developments in today's trade environment more effectively. The EU put forward a series of recommendations that stress the WCO's core activities, but at the same time provide a clear direction for its future work that can improve its international standing and make it a more effective actor for the promotion of safe, secure and legitimate trade.

First, the WCO should have a greater focus on strategic priorities reflecting the most important challenges of the 21^st century. In particular, the WCO should focus on the digitalisation of customs and the use of data, including in dealing with the rise in e-commerce and exchange of information; the contribution of customs to the protection of the environment and the green agenda; the development of single window approaches and coordinated border management to simplify customs clearance for businesses; and the strengthening of risk management by customs authorities. Second, transparency, institutional and decision-making processes must be improved. Third, the means by which the WCO is funded should be examined to ensure long-term sustainability of the Organization to improve its standing in the global multilateral architecture, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and as part of the economic recovery.

The WCO is expected to deepen discussions on the EU's modernisation initiative in its subsequent meetings and include it as a strategic programme for its new policy cycle. 

Source: European Commission