What can this possibly mean?
If you are involved in handling, shipping and transporting of cargo, express or postal consignments you will be directly affected by ICS2 and you will need to provide safety and security data to this information system. According to the EU commission, shipments will be stopped at the EU customs border if the data has not been submitted (in time) via ICS2. Poor quality declarations will also be rejected by EU customs and may result in non-compliance sanctions.
Please be aware that ICS2 will also indirectly affect you as a manufacturer, exporter and individuals from outside the EU, wishing to send goods into the EU, as you will be asked to provide the necessary information to the directly affected company in the EU.
If you are affected, you should prepare yourself by:
- Adapting your business processes,
- Taking steps to ensure that high-quality data is provided,
- Developing or updating your IT systems and/or
- Managing the training/supporting of your staff,
so you are ready for the upcoming new system.
Main facts about the new EU customs pre-arrival program
ICS2 is the new customs advance cargo information system of the EU. It will facilitate the free flow of trade. It collects data about all goods which enter the EU prior the arrival. All EU customs authorities will use this system to identify high-risk consignments in a better way and to ensure security.
It is a complete reform of the existing Import Control System, which will be replaced by ICS2.
Safety and security data must be declared by Economic operators through an Entry Summary Declaration. The obligation to start filling this declaration is not the same for each Economic operator. It depends on the type of service that is provided internationally and is also linked to the different release dates. Based on the type of services, the release is separated into three groups:
