PostEurop Position on the EU Customs Reform

PostEurop supports the ongoing consideration of the future of customs and modernisation of the EU legislative and regulatory framework in this area and would offer a contribution to the legislative deliberations on:

• The Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL establishing the Union Customs Code and the European Union Customs Authority, and repealing Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 [COM (2023) 258 final];
• The Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION amending Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 as regards the introduction of a simplified tariff treatment for the distance sales of goods and Regulation (EC) No 1186/2009 as regards the elimination of the customs duty relief threshold [COM (2023) 259 final];
• Regulation (EU) 2023/956 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 May 2023 establishing a carbon border adjustment mechanism [Regulation (EU) 2023/956];
• Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 May 2023 on the making available on the Union market and the export from the Union of certain commodities and products associated with deforestation and forest degradation and repealing Regulation (EU) No 995/2010 [Regulation (EU) 2023/1115].

Mission of customs authorities [Article 2 of COM (2023) 258 final]

The Proposal does not acknowledge the differentiated nature of State-designated Universal Service Providers (“USPs”) within the EU, operating as part of a single global postal territory, governed by the UPU. Moreover, the Proposal makes no reference to the differentiated nature of postal traffic, at all. This presents clear challenges for citizen-to-citizen postal traffic from 3rd countries, particularly in light of ongoing migration flows occurring due to global security and climate challenges.