Summary
Cefic agrees that the current Union Customs Code (UCC) is in need of a reform to better suit the demands of the 21st century, mainly due to increasing non-financial regulations and the rapid rise of e-commerce. Cefic advocates for the harmonisation and simplification of national customs regimes, ensuring reduced administrative burdens and integration of IT systems like the Single Window Environment for Customs. Moreover, the paper stresses the importance of data protection within the EU Data Hub, calls for support for SMEs, and ensuring the reform is implemented quickly.
Cefic recommendations:
- Implement the new Trust & Check Trader (T&CT) status uniformly across the EU and give sufficient support to economic operators to achieve it.
- Maintain the Authorised Economic Operator for Customs Simplifications (AEO-C) status next to the AEO for Security and Safety (AEO-S) and the T&CT.
- Ensure the interoperability of the EU Data Hub with the Single Window Environment for Customs and other IT systems, such as the REACH IT and RAPEX.
- Unambiguously regulate the details over which authorities have access to which data and how this access is granted.
- Establish a regular structured dialogue with stakeholders, including industry, to advise on the implementation of the reform