The EU’s customs reform has entered into force, with changes to be rolled out gradually from today across the bloc.
The reform follows formal adoption by the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament, and was published in the EU’s Official Journal last Saturday, the European Commission said in a statement on Monday.
Central to the changes is a revised Union Customs Code, the main rulebook for how goods are checked and cleared at the EU’s borders.
The new regulation is intended to create a more integrated system across member states and, ultimately, a single customs entry point rather than multiple national systems.
The Commission said the updated code is designed to modernise procedures, harmonise processes, reduce administrative burden and strengthen risk management — the process customs uses to identify shipments that may need closer checks.
A new EU Customs Authority has also been legally established, with its seat in Lille, and is intended to strengthen cooperation between national customs services through EU-wide risk management.
Data hub and e-commerce changes
A key task for the new authority will be developing an EU Customs Data Hub, a shared IT system intended to replace currently fragmented national customs systems, the Commission said.
The Data Hub is due to be operational for e-commerce from July 2028, while it is expected to be available for the rest of trade by 2031 at the latest.
The Commission said the new system is expected to generate savings of close to €2.3 billion per year in operating costs for member states and €2.58 billion per year in administrative costs for economic operators.
The reform also includes new measures for low-value e-commerce imports.
The EU decided in December 2025 to abolish the €150 customs duty exemption threshold for low-value consignments and apply a temporary €3 customs duty from 1 July 2026 until July 2028, after which normal customs duties will be levied.
An EU-wide handling fee for small parcels has also been created to cover processing costs, with the EU set to apply it from November 2026 at a fixed amount to be set out in a delegated act by the Commission.
Member states have 12 months to implement the new rules in full, while the EU Customs Authority is expected to start operations in 2027.
