The European Union (EU) has announced plans to implement a comprehensive customs pre-arrival safety and security system aimed at cargoes entering the region through sea, rail, and road. The initiative, aligned with the Import Control System 2, is scheduled to launch on June 3, 2024.
Under the new policy, traders will be required to submit data on goods destined for or passing through the EU before their arrival. This process, applicable to maritime and inland waterways, as well as road and rail transportation, will mandate importers to provide a complete entry summary declaration. This marks the third phase of the new system’s implementation, extending safety and security data reporting requirements to all modes of transport. Similar requirements have already been enforced for air transportation of goods.
In a statement, the EU highlighted, “With this third release, maritime and inland waterways, road and rail carriers will also need to provide data on goods sent to or through the EU before their arrival, through a complete Entry Summary Declaration (ENS).”
The obligation also includes postal and express carriers using these modes of transport, as well as other entities like logistics providers. In certain situations, final consignees established in the EU will also need to submit ENS data to ICS2.
Traders are urged to prepare in advance for Release 3 to mitigate the risk of delays and non-compliance. The EU advised affected businesses to ensure accurate and complete data collection, update their IT systems and operational processes, and provide adequate training to their staff.
Additionally, traders are required to complete a self-conformance test by “December 11, 2023,” before connecting to ICS2, to verify their ability to access and exchange messages with customs authorities. EU Member States will grant authorization, upon request, to affected traders to gradually connect to ICS2 within specific time-limited deployment windows, varying based on the mode of transportation.
