To meet the new challenges in trade, the EU Customs Union is to be comprehensively reformed. The corresponding proposals of the EU Commission were published on May 17, 2023.
Essentially, a customs data platform is to significantly simplify customs processes. The platform is to be usable for e-commerce shipments as early as 2028. Four years later, all other importers should also benefit from the technology. The goal is to create a “simpler, smarter and safer customs union.”
The Commission’s proposal also includes removing the threshold of less than 150 euros for goods to be exempt from customs duties.
EU Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni has this to say about the proposed reform: “This far-reaching reform will reduce administrative burdens and compliance costs for businesses, provide more transparency and security for EU citizens when shopping online, and bring simpler and innovative procedures for public authorities.”
In the area of e-commerce, the new customs data platform is to be applied as early as 2028.
