EU centralised clearance - benefits and limits
Godfried Smit
Secretary General, the European Shippers’ Council (ESC), Netherlands
Published 18 Feb 2026
In this session, you will learn how customs declarations can be lodged with a supervising customs office in one EU Member State while the goods are presented in another. The recording also provides insight into the scope of Centralised Clearance, its phased IT rollout across Member States, and its current limitations - including the exclusion of VAT and excise duties and the fact that certain controls are not yet fully harmonised across the EU.