The Council of the EU (Member States) and European Parliament reached an agreement to overhaul the EU customs framework, the most significant reform since 1968. The package aims to modernise customs tools to handle rising trade volumes, especially e-commerce, and enforce expanding EU standards at the border, while balancing stricter controls with reduced burdens on traders in a tougher geopolitical context. It is built on four pillars:

1. EU Customs Data Hub: a single EU platform for submitting customs data once, improving traceability and risk management; operational for e-commerce from 1 July 2028 and fully rolled out by 1 March 2034.
2. “Trust and check” simplifications: a new top-tier status for highly transparent traders, offering streamlined obligations and, for the most reliable, the possibility to release goods without active customs intervention, complementing existing AEO schemes.
3. Small-parcel measures: an EU-wide handling fee on low-value consignments sold via distance selling, set by delegated act and applies by 1 November 2026; platforms and sellers become the importer, with penalties for repeated non-compliance.
4. EU Customs Authority: a new decentralised agency, based in Lille, to manage the data hub, support risk management, define control priorities, and coordinate EU-level customs crisis responses, to be established once the regulation enters into force.

More information can be found here or contact the EBI Office.