The journey towards a fully digital European customs system is entering its final phase. According to the European Commission's new report, Member States have made significant progress in implementing the Union Customs Code (UCC) by 2024, building on a shared commitment spanning a decade.
Among the most significant achievements highlighted in the report commissioned on October 2 are the adoption of a centralized system for managing guarantees, the upgrade of the import control system with a new and improved version, the launch of the project aimed at certifying the Union status ( Proof of Union Status ), and the progress of the computerized system for customs transit. These advances contribute to strengthening the European digital customs architecture, making procedures more fluid, secure, and integrated between Member States. However, there are also critical issues. Some Member States continue to experience delays in the implementation of key components, particularly in the projects for imports – the National Import System , the Trans -European System , and the Centralized Clearance for Imports – and for exports, through the Automated Export System .
These difficulties, in the Commission's view, have repercussions on the entire system: they limit benefits for businesses, entail additional costs, and slow down the collection of data required for customs surveillance. In some cases, the lack of aligned systems also prevents companies from fully taking advantage of simplified procedures or quickly obtaining proof of goods exit, with practical consequences for VAT recovery.
Brussels therefore calls on Member States to maintain momentum and allocate adequate resources to meet the final deadline of 2025. The full digital implementation of the UCC appears essential not only to simplify trade and strengthen the competitiveness of European companies, but also to protect the Union's revenues and combat illicit trade.
With the final year of operations now upon us, the challenge is to transform the progress – still uneven today – into a truly single and interoperable system, capable of guaranteeing European economic operators a secure, transparent and fully digital customs environment.