Who sets the rules at the border: EU and national prohibitions and restrictions
The legal basis, the role of DG TAXUD and other Commission departments, and the limits on national import bans
The same product can be restricted in one member state and not in another. Member states keep their own measures on public health, weapons, cultural heritage and the environment, and these measures are not on the Integrated EU Prohibitions and Restrictions List. Sanctions are not on it either. DG TAXUD publishes the list, but other Commission departments are often responsible for the rules on it. This recording explains who sets the rules at the border and on what legal basis. It covers the EU's exclusive power over trade with third countries under the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, other EU policies such as environmental policy, and the Treaty exceptions that protect health, public order, security and national treasures. It shows which EU measures customs applies, where EU acts such as Regulation (EU) 2015/478 on common rules for imports allow national exceptions, and where national powers end. If you screen goods, advise traders or set up compliance processes, it helps you see which authority is responsible for a rule, where to look beyond the EU list and why the answer can differ between member states.
