September 11, 2022
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EU Single Window Environment for Customs (EU SWE-C)

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What is ‘single window’?

The ‘single window’ is a trade facilitation measure, allowing parties involved in trade and transport to lodge standardised information and documents with a single-entry point to fulfil all import, export, and transit-related regulatory requirements, thus reducing duplication, time, and costs.

Why is EU Single Window Environment for Customs (EU SWE-C) required?

The formalities required at the EU’s external borders often involve many different authorities in charge of other policy areas, such as health and safety, environment protection, fisheries and agriculture, market surveillance and product compliance, and cultural heritage. Consequently, economic operators must submit information to several authorities, each with its own portal and procedures. This is burdensome and time consuming for economic operators and reduces the capacity of authorities to jointly act in preventing risks.

What actions have been undertaken so far?

In 2008, the Member States and the Commission committed to promoting an electronic customs environment in the EU by endeavouring to establish a framework of single window services. In 2016, Communication from the Commission on ‘Developing the EU Customs Union and its Governance’ announced the Commission’s plans to explore a workable solution for developing and creating an EU SWE-C.

In line with these priorities, the Commission launched a pilot project in 2015, the EU Customs Single Window-Common Veterinary Entry Document (EU CSW-CVED) to enable the automated verification of three non-customs health certificates by nine Member States’ customs administrations. Its successor, the EU Customs Single Window Certificates Exchange System (EU CSW-CERTEX), expanded the scope of regulatory requirements and introduced new functionalities.

How about the legislation?

The legislative proposal was announced in the new Customs Action Plan and the latter was published in September 2020 as part of President von der Leyen’s commitment to take the Customs Union to the next level. In 2022, the ordinary legislative procedure on the proposed regulation is ongoing. 

It is worth noting that the development of the EU SWE-C rests on two pillars of digital administrative cooperation:

  • The first includes government-to-government (G2G) digital cooperation between customs and partner competent authorities through the central component EU CSW-CERTEX to support the automated reception and verification by customs of the documents for goods clearance related to non-customs formalities; 
  • The second pillar, business-to-government (B2G) digital cooperation, aims at streamlining reporting formalities imposed on trade for the import, export, and transit of specific goods subject to non-customs regulatory formalities. Thus, reporting and procedural redundancies are avoided, and the realisation of the internationally recognised single window concept is enabled by providing economic operators with a single-entry point to fulfil all import, export, and transit-related regulatory requirements.

Learn more in the 2021 e-customs annual progress report prepared by the European Commission.

Comments ()

lt
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17-09-2023

Skaitytojo klausimas: Skaitome aktualijas iš Jungtinės Karalystės apie jų kuriamą efektyviausią pasaulyje sieną. Būtų įdomu, jei nuolat apžvelgtumėte, kaip jiems sekasi, kokios naujausios žinios? Atsakydami į klausimą apžvelgiame technologijų panaudojimo tikslus ir bendras kryptis JK, ES, JAV ir kitose šalyse, bei pristatome aktualiai paskelbtą JK pasienio pasitikėjimo ekosistemos pilotinio projekto rezultatų ataskaitą.

IT systems, databases
lt
Pasitikėjimo ekosistema prekių judėjimui per sienas – Jungtinės Karalystės modelis
17-09-2023

Skaitytojo klausimas: Skaitome aktualijas iš Jungtinės Karalystės apie jų kuriamą efektyviausią pasaulyje sieną. Būtų įdomu, jei nuolat apžvelgtumėte, kaip jiems sekasi, kokios naujausios žinios? Atsakydami į klausimą apžvelgiame technologijų panaudojimo tikslus ir bendras kryptis JK, ES, JAV ir kitose šalyse, bei pristatome aktualiai paskelbtą JK pasienio pasitikėjimo ekosistemos pilotinio projekto rezultatų ataskaitą.

IT systems, databases
en
Customs Control Club: Opportunities and Challenges in Customs Digitalization
20-07-2023

For the second year, students from the Department of Control and Analysis of Economic Activities at the D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics, Svishtov, Bulgaria worked in the Customs Control Club formed at the Department. Participation in the club was voluntary, and in the second season 10 students actively participated. The work of the club was under the slogan "Customs in the digital world" and several issues were discussed such as what are the pros and cons of digitalization as a process, the level of digitalization in Customs control around the world, in the EU and Bulgaria, the opportunities for digitalization of import, export and transit processes, etc. As a result of the student's efforts, a summary essay on "Opportunities and Challenges in Customs Digitalization" was prepared.

Neirin Renizal

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en
Customs Control Club: Opportunities and Challenges in Customs Digitalization
20-07-2023

For the second year, students from the Department of Control and Analysis of Economic Activities at the D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics, Svishtov, Bulgaria worked in the Customs Control Club formed at the Department. Participation in the club was voluntary, and in the second season 10 students actively participated. The work of the club was under the slogan "Customs in the digital world" and several issues were discussed such as what are the pros and cons of digitalization as a process, the level of digitalization in Customs control around the world, in the EU and Bulgaria, the opportunities for digitalization of import, export and transit processes, etc. As a result of the student's efforts, a summary essay on "Opportunities and Challenges in Customs Digitalization" was prepared.

Neirin Renizal

IT systems, databases
image en, lt
Methodical approach to identify added value through digitization and automation
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Michael Tomuscheit

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image en, lt
Methodical approach to identify added value through digitization and automation
09-07-2023

Michael Tomuscheit

IT systems, databases
en
Current progress towards a fully digital EU customs environment
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From the point of view of many customs operators, especially those who conduct cross-member state customs activities, the developments in IT are rather sobering. Although the legal framework for further standardization and harmonization has been established, isolated solutions and uncoordinated development statuses within the EU are delaying a real breakthrough. In this article, we provide an overview of the project status regarding the report of the European Commission.

Antonia Livajic

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en
Current progress towards a fully digital EU customs environment
11-06-2023

From the point of view of many customs operators, especially those who conduct cross-member state customs activities, the developments in IT are rather sobering. Although the legal framework for further standardization and harmonization has been established, isolated solutions and uncoordinated development statuses within the EU are delaying a real breakthrough. In this article, we provide an overview of the project status regarding the report of the European Commission.

Antonia Livajic

IT systems, databases
en, lt
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04-06-2023

The EU Commission has presented a proposal for the reform of the Union Customs Code (as well as amendments of several other legal acts). In view of the largely failed centralisation (and thus standardisation) of customs activities and – apart from ICS2 – IT systems, as well as a lack of harmonisation of customs sanctions, the proposals for an EU Customs Data Hub, an EU Customs Authority, the shift to the (deemed) importer as the person responsible for duties and all compliance aspects, as well as a partial harmonisation of customs sanctions are bold steps with regard to which the business community suffering from unequal treatment within the EU Customs Union and Single Market can only wish the EU Commission success in the Council and the Parliament.

Michael Lux

IT systems, databases
en, lt
The Reform of the UCC
04-06-2023

The EU Commission has presented a proposal for the reform of the Union Customs Code (as well as amendments of several other legal acts). In view of the largely failed centralisation (and thus standardisation) of customs activities and – apart from ICS2 – IT systems, as well as a lack of harmonisation of customs sanctions, the proposals for an EU Customs Data Hub, an EU Customs Authority, the shift to the (deemed) importer as the person responsible for duties and all compliance aspects, as well as a partial harmonisation of customs sanctions are bold steps with regard to which the business community suffering from unequal treatment within the EU Customs Union and Single Market can only wish the EU Commission success in the Council and the Parliament.

Michael Lux

IT systems, databases
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