PARLIAMENT AND COUNCIL REACH AGREEMENT ON THE EU CUSTOMS REFORM
On 26 March, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU reached an agreement on a comprehensive reform of the EU Customs Union. The reform introduces a new framework aimed at simplifying procedures, strengthening enforcement, and enhancing the EU’s capacity to respond to evolving trade and security challenges.
At the core of the reform is the creation of a new EU Customs Authority (EUCA), based in Lille. The Authority is expected to play a key operational role, supporting the development of a future EU Customs Data Hub, enhancing coordination of risk management across Member States, and contributing to improved compliance.
The reform also introduces far-reaching changes for e-commerce. Online platforms will become the importer of record for distance sales, removing longstanding ambiguities around liability. At the same time, the €150 duty exemption for low-value consignments will be abolished. From July 2026, a simplified flat duty will apply to small parcels as an interim measure, pending the full deployment of the Data Hub.
The implementation of the reform will follow a phased approach, with EUCA expected to begin operations in 2027, while the EU Customs Data Hub will be progressively rolled out from 2028 until it is fully operational by 2034. While formal adoption and technical finalisation are still to follow, the political agreement reached this week sets the direction of travel. For freight forwarders and customs representatives, this reform will have operational implications from data management and compliance requirements to the way risk is assessed, and controls are carried out across the EU.
CLECAT has been closely involved in this reform process from the outset, actively contributing to discussions with the European Commission, the European Parliament and Member States to ensure that the operational realities of freight forwarders and customs representatives are fully understood. We will continue to engage in the next phases, in particular on implementation and secondary legislation, to help establish a system that is both effective and workable for our sector.
The Commission’s Questions and Answers document on the EU Customs Reform can be accessed here.
Source: European Commission