European Comission : Import Control System

 

The European Comission's Import Control System is scheduled to be legally implemented throughout all 27 EU member states on the 01st January 2011.

 

What's it all about?

All consignments transitting into or through the EU customs territory originating from countris outside of the EU must be reported electronically. This reporting must be done in advance of the goods arriving into the EU territory, to the relevant customs administration via an electronic summary declaration (ENS). There are very few exceptions to this rule and to all intents and purposes it encompasses all goods.

Who submits an ENS?

The carrier who brings the goods into the EU is ultimately responsible for providing the ENS. If goods are onward transitting to another country within the EU it still remains the responsibility of the carrier who first arrives within the EU to present the electronic declaration.

Can anybody else submit the ENS?

Yes, if the carrier so chooses he can nominate another third party to present the ENS. The declarant, whether he is the carrier or a third party representative will have to have a valid Economic Operator Registration Identification (EORI) number.

Where is the ENS submitted?

The ENS must be submitted to the authority which controls the first point of entry into the EU. For Example vessels calling at Rotterdam for onward destination the UK would still submit their ENS in Rotterdam as the first port of call.

Why do we have a new Import Control System?

The Import control system allows EU member states to carry out risk and analysis to do with safety and security. All inbound consignments originating from outside the EU will now provide data that can be analysed before shipments depart allowing EU member states to decide whether shipments should be allowed to transit or not.

What does the ENS contain?

In general terms the ENS contains a lot of the information which would normally be provided when submitting a basic home use customs entry.

Do we still have to do a customs entry upon arrival?

Yes, the ENS entry is not a customs entry so when goods arrive they are still required to go through the usual customs control procedures. The two entries are not to be confused.

The work involved in providing this information on import consignments arriving into the EU and then forwarding this to the correct member state via the carrier will be immense. All freight forwarders, Airlines and shipping lines need to keep an eye on this situation and ensure they have procedures in place to handle the volume of additional data that will need to be supplied before the usual transit supply chain times start. This is especially true for those quicker transits, Road and Air where the effects on transit time might be felt more. Although the reporting times are much shorter the transit of paperwork before flight is alos much quicker and additional planning will be required to help carriers provide this information to the correct member state.