TRADE CALL FOR COORDINATION ON CUSTOMS-ENFORCED EU LEGISLATION
CLECAT, together with AmCham EU, CER, CONFIAD, EEA, EuroCommerce, ESC and EurTradeNet has submitted proposal to the European Commission calling for the establishment of a Horizontal Coordination Working Group on Sectoral Legislation controlled by Customs at EU Borders, to operate under the DG TAXUD and with its Trade Contact Group (TCG).
The initiative responds to growing challenges faced by companies as an increasing number of EU sectoral regulations - ranging from environmental rules to sanctions and product compliance - are enforced through customs procedures. While the policy objectives are widely supported, their implementation often lacks alignment with operational customs realities, leading to duplication, legal uncertainty, and inconsistent application across Member States.
Recent examples such as the F-Gas Regulation, CATCH IT system, and the EU Deforestation Regulation highlight recurring issues: misalignment with customs procedures, definitions and representation models, divergent national interpretations, and insufficient testing and interfacing of IT systems. These challenges are further compounded by the growing interconnection of systems via the EU Single Window (CERTEX), increasing the risk of disruption across the Customs Union.
The proposed Working Group would provide a structured platform to ensure early coordination between Commission services, customs authorities, and industry. Its objective is to identify operational impacts at an early stage, improve consistency in definitions and data requirements, and ensure that new IT systems are fit for purpose before implementation.
This proposal comes at a critical moment, as the EU advances its Customs Reform agenda. Without stronger horizontal coordination, there is a risk that increasing regulatory complexity could undermine key reform objectives such as simplification, efficiency, and predictability for traders.
CLECAT and the co-signing European Associations presented this initiative as a pragmatic step to strengthen cooperation, enhance system resilience, and ensure that future EU legislation is both effective in its objectives and workable in practice at the border.