The European Parliament adopted by 618 votes to 2, with 3 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the European Union Single Window Environment for Customs and amending Regulation (EU) No 952/2013.
The European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure amends the Commission's proposal as follows:
Establishment of an EU Single Window Environment for Customs
The Regulation aims at establishing common rules for a harmonised and integrated EU single window environment for customs. This environment will comprise a set of fully integrated electronic services provided at EU and national level in order to facilitate information sharing and digital cooperation between customs authorities and partner competent authorities and to streamline the goods clearance process for economic operators.
The Regulation lays down rules for the national single window environments for customs and rules on digital administrative cooperation and information sharing through interoperable data sets, within the EU single window environment for customs.
The new rules should boost the fluidity of cross-border trade and help reduce the administrative burden on traders, in particular by saving time and making customs clearance easier and more automated.
The single window environment will allow customs and other authorities to automatically verify that the goods in question comply with EU requirements and that the necessary formalities have been completed. Once fully implemented, businesses will no longer have to submit documents to several authorities via different portals.
Member State authorities involved in the clearance of goods at the EU's external borders should access and exchange electronic information submitted by traders. The Single Window Environment for Customs will also support the automated verification of non-customs formalities for goods entering or leaving the EU.
Data processing
The EU Single Window Environment for Customs and its components shall be designed, interconnected and operated in accordance with Union law on the protection of personal data, the free flow of non-personal data and cybersecurity, using the most appropriate technologies.
Electronic certificate exchange system in the context of the Single Window of the Union
In order to implement the EU Single Window environment for customs, the Regulation establishes a certificate exchange system, namely the EU Single Window for Customs Electronic Certificate Exchange System (EU CSW-CERTEX), which connects national customs single window environments and non-customs systems in the EU that handle specific non-customs formalities.
With the assistance of the Commission if necessary, Member States should connect national customs single window environments to the EU CSW-CERTEX system by 3 March 2025 and allow the exchange of information on the EU non-customs formalities listed in Part A of the Annex (e.g. the Common Health Entry Document for animals and the Common Veterinary Document for pets): Common health entry document for animals, products, feed and plants; licence for ozone depleting substances; fluorinated greenhouse gases; import licence for cultural goods).
Member States should connect national single window customs environments to the EU CSW-CERTEX system and allow the exchange of information on EU non-customs formalities and EU voluntary non-customs systems listed in Part B of the Annex (import licensing for forest law enforcement, governance and trade; EU export control, brokering, technical assistance, transit and transfer regime for dual-use items; certificates for international trade in endangered wildlife species; information and communication system for market surveillance).
National coordinators
Each Member State should appoint a national coordinator for the EU Single Window Environment for Customs. The national coordinator will: (a) act as the national contact point for the Commission on all matters relating to the implementation of the Regulation; (b) promote and support cooperation between national customs authorities and partner competent authorities at national level; (c) coordinate activities related to the connection of national single window environments for customs with EU CSW-CERTEX, and the provision of information.
Design of the EU Single Window Environment for Customs
The EU Single Window Environment for Customs should include failsafe instruments and should be designed with a view to contributing to and fostering the data analytics capabilities of customs authorities, including through the use of artificial intelligence assisted tools for the detection of infringements that are subject to customs controls or that are being investigated by customs authorities, including as regards goods safety and security and the protection of the financial interests of the Union.
Monitoring and reporting
The Commission should regularly monitor the state of development of the EU Single Window environment for customs and whether its use should be extended. By 31 December 2027 and annually thereafter, the Commission should produce a yearly report on the state of the implementation of the EU Single Window Environment for Customs and the national single window environments for customs, by reference to the work programme.