European customs reform: a new era of data
In the continuity of our news « Data Hub: Lille hosts EU data revolution »A political agreement was reached between Parliament and the Council. This important reform of the customs union, the most ambitious since 1968, completes the installation of the Data Hub in Lille by modernising all customs procedures.
The European Commission has announced an agreement between the European Parliament and the Council on the reform of the Customs Union. This is a structural change, the most significant since the creation of the system in 1968. This is intended to make procedures simpler, faster and more responsive to the new challenges of international trade, including the strong growth of e-commerce, in a context of increased fraud, dangerous products and illicit flows.
To better respond to these challenges, the European Union plans to set up a new agency, the EU Customs Authority, based in Lille. This structure will coordinate customs activities in all Member States and lead a single data platform, with harmonised risk management at European level. In concrete terms, companies will no longer have to pass on the same information to several administrations: a single sending of data will suffice, thus reducing the costs and procedures.
Operators complying with the rules will benefit. They will be subject to fewer controls and simplified procedures, allowing customs to focus more on risk flows, in particular to strengthen the detection of fraud and non-compliant products.
The reform also targets e-commerce, which is expanding rapidly. From 1 July 2026, packages imported from outside the EU with a value of less than EUR 150 will no longer be exempt from duty. A flat-rate fee of EUR 3 per consignment will be applied to ensure fairer competition between foreign platforms and European actors. In the long run, online sales platforms will have to transmit their transaction data directly to customs and ensure that products comply with European standards.
This reform will enter into force after its official publication subject to its formal adoption. The Customs Authority is expected to start operating in 2027. The joint platform will be gradually deployed from 2028 onwards, before becoming the central tool for all customs operations by 2034.
In short, this reform modernises the Customs Union to make it more effective, while simplifying business approaches and strengthening the protection of European consumers. For companies, it is above all a concrete change: compliance will no longer be based solely on declarations, but increasingly on the quality of the data transmitted.