27 June 2025, the Council agreed on a partial negotiating mandate on a fundamental reform of the EU customs framework. The overhaul will give customs authorities across the EU a more modern toolbox to deal with trends such as huge increases in trade volumes, especially in e-commerce, a fast-growing number of EU standards that must be checked at the border and shifting geopolitical realities and crises.
Overall, this reform is expected to give the EU the adequate means to stop non-compliant, dangerous or unsafe goods from entering the EU, collect customs duties more efficiently, and carry out adequate controls without putting excessive burden on authorities and traders.
The agreement will allow interinstitutional negotiations with the European Parliament to begin on the core aspects of the reform, such as:
- establishment of a new decentralised agency for customs – the EU customs authority – which will support and help coordinate the risk management work of national customs authorities, and manage the EU customs data hub;
- creation of a single EU-wide online environment – the EU customs data hub – one central IT platform for interacting with customs and strengthening data integrity, traceability and customs controls;
- introduction of enhanced customs simplifications for the most trusted traders, saving them time and money
development of a more modern approach to e-commerce, adapted to the realities of a rapidly evolving landscape.
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