At the GCCA European Cold Chain conference in Düsseldorf, industry leaders met to discuss how to keep European food trade safe, reliable, and efficient. As part of the event, the panel “Fit for the Future – Building the Secure, Modern Border We Need for European Food Trade” brought together stakeholders from across the logistics and food supply chain to look at the challenges and opportunities in modernising border processes.
The panel featured Alice O’Donovan, Secretary General of CELCAA; Matteo Alexander Nenciolini, Sustainability Policy Manager at the European Shippers Council; and Tineke Van de Voorde, Key Account Manager at Port of Antwerp-Bruges. The session was moderated by Shane Brennan, Senior Vice President, Strategy, Partnerships, and Policy at GCCA.
During the discussion, European Shippers Council underlined the main challenges affecting food imports and the need to modernise border procedures. Food safety remains the top priority, but current systems can create significant delays. Differences in rules between EU Member States, limited testing capacity, and weak coordination between customs and food safety authorities often result in shipments being held up for days or even weeks.
ESC called for a more harmonised approach across the EU. This includes closer coordination between customs and health authorities, real-time sharing of shipment and inspection data, and greater use of certified private laboratories to increase testing capacity. ESC also pointed to the need for digital systems that can handle small data errors without automatically stopping shipments.
A modern border system should make better use of available technology while still ensuring full compliance. This includes the use of AI-assisted document checks, automated scanning, robotics, and camera systems, particularly in contexts where staffing is limited. Centralised data hubs can also improve visibility, reduce errors, and speed up inspections.
At the same time, changes in global tariffs make customs planning increasingly important, along with strong trust between partners across the supply chain. Schemes such as the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) programme help trusted and compliant traders to move goods more efficiently while maintaining high safety standards.
ESC’s message is that European borders need to be more efficient, transparent, and resilient.