GETTING READY FOR ICS2 RELEASE 2
CLECAT’s Supply Chain Security and Customs Institute members met this morning to exchange views and concerns on the preparedness of the industry for the Release 2 of the Import Control System 2 (ICS2) which enters into force on March 1, 2023. The release will impact documentation requirements for all shipments going to EU Member States affecting shippers worldwide. The new Import Control System 2.0 (ICS2 Release 2), which focuses on airfreight, requires proper preparation from freight forwarders worldwide, exporting to the EU, in addition to economic operators within the region. Advance information will include some new requirements such as HS6 digit commodity code for each item, Economic Operators Registration and Identification.
All MSs must start ICS2 Release 2 operations on 1 March 2023, unless they were granted a derogation to use means for the exchange and storage of information other than electronic data-processing techniques for the ICS2 Release 2 in relation to goods transported by air .
Economic Operators (Eos) not being ready to go-live with ICS2 Release 2 on 1 March 2023 or required to go-live later than on 1 March 2023 (due to EO role for the purpose of fulfilling ENS obligations and deployment window that has to be granted for that role) should request MS of registration to grant them with deployment window two weeks before the 1st March. This means that an EO that has a legal obligation to file an ENS and is not ready to go live with ICS2 Release 2 can request a deployment window from the customs authority of the country of registration/establishment. At least the following information should be provided in the application by the EO: company name and EORI number; role in ICS2 business process (air carrier, express carrier, postal operator, house filer); requested duration of the deployment window – “from date” and “to date” and the provisional date when EO is planning to go-live with ICS2 Release 2.
The above information was confirmed at the meeting organised by the ICS2 team of DG TAXUD at the Trans-European Coordination meetings (TEC) for ICS2 Release 2 & 3 lease 3 in which CLECAT participated earlier this week. ICS2 National Project Managers of EU Member States, Switzerland and Norway and Trade Associations and Economic Operators were invited. All publicly available information related to ICS2 R2 is available on the European Commission’s Circa website:
ICS2 Release 2 - Library (europa.eu)
CLECAT continues its cooperation with the European Commission and stakeholders involved in ICS2, as well as assistance to member freight forwarders, to ensure a successful rollout of ICS2 Release 2 for aviation, as well as Release 3 affecting the road-, rail-, and maritime sector.