A future without customs declarations and with new roles and responsibilities for importers and exporters in the EU

The UCC reform proposal, if adopted, means saying goodbye to many familiar concepts (entry summary declaration, customs declaration, declarant, etc.) and welcoming new ones. We provide an overview of some proposed changes to the definitions of the UCC, which show that the current roles and responsibilities of the actors involved (e.g., exporter, importer, declarant, carrier, customs warehouse of free zone operator) as well as certain familiar customs simplifications will disappear (e.g., entry in the declarant’s records, simplified and supplementary declaration) and customs processes will change significantly, in particular due to the creation of a central EU Customs Data Hub. Economic operators concerned should analyse the forthcoming changes and draw the attention of the legislative bodies to weaknesses and possible unintended consequences in customs processes in a timely manner.