In an announcement, the European Union revealed its intention to enforce a comprehensive customs pre-arrival safety and security protocol that targets incoming shipments by sea, rail, and road.
Scheduled for launch on June 3, 2024, the new initiative is in alignment with the Import Control System 2.
Under the new policy, traders will be mandated to provide data on goods destined for or passing through the region prior to their arrival, encompassing maritime, inland waterways, road, and rail transportation.
This marks the third phase of implementing the new system, extending safety and security data reporting requirements to all modes of transport, with similar prerequisites already in effect for air transportation of goods, as stated by the EU.
The statement delved, “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 EU also advised traders to make advanced preparations for Release 3 to mitigate the risks of delays and non-compliance.
Affected businesses are required to ensure accurate and complete data collection from their clients, update their IT systems and operational procedures, and provide adequate training to their staff, in addition to completing a self-conformance test by “December 11, 2023” for connecting to ICS2, to verify their capability to exchange messages with customs authorities.
Upon request, EU Member States will grant authorization to the affected traders for a gradual connection to ICS2 within specified time frames, and failure to comply with the ICS2 data requirements will result in goods being stopped at EU borders and not being cleared by customs authorities, as emphasized by the Union.