EU approves customs reform to handle rising trade and global uncertainties

Published on 27/03/2026 - 12:15 GMT+1

The EU approved a sweeping customs betterment to grip increasing commercialized volumes and streamline the exertion of its standards.

The agreement, which was reached connected Thursday evening, introduces caller tools to amended the postulation of customs duties and summation controls connected non-compliant oregon unsafe goods, without imposing excessive burdens for authorities and traders.

"Today’s statement marks the top betterment since the instauration of the Customs Union successful 1968", Cypriot Finance Minister Makis Keravnos said successful a connection pursuing the adoption of the reform. "This modern toolbox volition facilitate commercialized and guarantee the due postulation of duties, successful a simplified manner, and with the required ineligible certainty", the curate added.

Customs absorption and commercialized person gained renewed urgency aft commercialized volumes person sharply accrued successful the past years. Some €4.6 cardinal low-value items nether €150 were imported to the EU successful 2024, representing an mean of 12 cardinal parcels per day, according to European Commission data. That is simply a large summation from the €2.3 cardinal that entered successful 2023 and €1.4 cardinal successful 2022.

In addition, uncertainties implicit US tariffs, combined with caller EU commercialized deals specified arsenic those with MERCOSUR and Australia, marque this betterment peculiarly timely.

EU customs information hub

The caller rules foresee the instauration of an EU customs information hub, which volition beryllium an online level to facilitate the monitoring of commercialized flows without disrupting their creaseless operation.

Businesses importing and exporting from the EU volition lone request to taxable customs accusation connected that azygous portal.

The hub, which volition beryllium operational for e-commerce from July 2028, volition beryllium managed by a caller European Custom Authority, headquartered successful Lille, France.

The Authority volition oversee the EU customs by coordinating nationalist offices and supporting them successful the hazard management. In particular, the Authority volition analyse the import and export information to emblem cargos that poses the highest hazard for inspection.

The betterment volition besides present simplified procedures for "trust and cheque traders" for transparent businesses that volition not beryllium subjected to progressive customs interventions.

For e-commerce operators that neglect to comply with EU standards, it volition beryllium applied a caller strategy of fiscal penalties.

The betterment foresees a caller EU handling interest for tiny parcels entering the EU starting November 2026, with the nonstop magnitude to beryllium decided by the European Commission. From July to November, a impermanent €3 taxation volition use to each parcels nether €150.