Provisional Agreement on New European Customs Code 2025

On June 27, the EU Member States reached a provisional agreement on the reform of the Union Customs Code (UCC). This agreement marks an important step towards the modernisation of European customs procedures and offers tangible benefits for both e-commerce companies and small and medium-sized enterprises.

The revised proposal, which now forms the basis for negotiations with the European Parliament, includes several improvements compared to the European Commission’s original plan. For instance, bulk imports in e-commerce will be encouraged, and a handling fee will be introduced to ensure a fairer distribution of supervision costs. These measures aim to create a level playing field for European businesses, which often face unfair competition from non-EU providers.

Small and medium-sized companies also stand to benefit from the agreement. Thanks to Dutch efforts, smaller companies will retain access to customs facilities such as the AEO-C status, and customs representatives will remain available. This is essential for entrepreneurs without in-house customs expertise.

Another key element is the digitalisation of customs processes. The agreement provides for the development of a uniform EU customs data platform and a new customs authority. This will allow freight forwarders and shippers to enter all required data centrally, improving both efficiency and transparency.

The temporary storage period will remain 90 days, and export and re-export procedures will be clearly separated. These adjustments better reflect the logistical reality in transit countries such as the Netherlands.

The final agreement is expected to be concluded by the end of 2025.