The Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection adopted the report by Ivan ŠTEFANEC (EPP, SK) 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 proposal aims to establish a harmonised and interoperable EU single window environment for customs. It provides for the creation of a central system at EU level for the interconnection of national customs single window environments and non-customs systems in the EU, enabling digital cooperation between regulatory authorities involved in the clearance of goods.

The Commission, in cooperation with the Member States, would continue to design, operate and maintain the central electronic system (EU CSW-CERTEX) to facilitate the exchange of data between all actors involved in the clearance of goods.

The committee responsible recommended that the European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the proposal as follows:

Extension of the scope of non-customs formalities covered by the EU CSW-CERTEX system

The proposal should support interaction and intensify the exchange of information between the national Single Window environments for customs and the non-customs systems of the Union referred to in Annex I, Part A and Annex I, Part B containing the list of systems that may be used on a voluntary basis by Member States and that are to be connected by 2023.

The EU CSW-CERTEX system would initially cover sanitary and phytosanitary requirements, rules governing the import of biological products, environmental requirements relating to fluorinated greenhouse gases and ozone-depleting substances, and formalities relating to the import of cultural goods.

It should also cover, on a voluntary basis , rules on product safety (RAPEX), export controls on dual-use goods, international trade in endangered wildlife (CITES), international trade in rough diamonds, forest law enforcement, shipments of waste, governance, trade, and the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals (REACH)

The Commission should adopt delegated acts amending the lists of non-customs systems in the Union mentioned in Annex I.

Interoperability and harmonisation of systems

Members considered that it is necessary to achieve effective interoperability and standardisation of electronic systems. These systems should be based on uniform technical specifications set by the Commission. These should provide common data sets for all applications, declarations and notifications, for an interoperable and common IT solution, and ensure that decisions issued by national administrations are valid throughout the Union.

The Commission should provide training and support to the teams working on the creation, design and maintenance of national single window environments for customs.

Data processing

Any processing of personal and non-personal data in the EU CSW-CERTEX system should be without prejudice to Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation - GDPR) and the principles set out in Regulation (EU) 2018/1807 on the free flow of non-personal data. It should be carried out in a safe, secure environment protected from cyber threats.

Working group

Members proposed setting up a working group - composed of representatives of the Commission and national coordinators - to discuss, at technical level, the progress of the implementation of the national Single Window environments for customs. They also suggested that other customs and non-customs formalities be added to the EU Single Window environment and the EU CSW-CERTEX system.

National coordinators

Members suggested that the list of tasks mandated to the national coordinator for the EU single window environment for customs should be extended to include the obligation to follow on the uniform adoption of technical specifications for the national single window environment.

Multi-annual strategic plan for customs (MASP-C)

In the interests of consistency and coordination between the EU Customs Code and this regulation, Members considered it necessary to include the Multiannual Strategic Plan for Electronic Customs (MASP-C), which should provide for the development of electronic customs systems at European level, with a view to creating a European electronic customs environment.

Data sharing

Member States should aggregate, where possible, relevant non-personal data collected through the use of national Single Window environments for Customs and, where possible and secure, share such data with software developers or equipment producers.

Cybersecurity framework

The Commission should ensure that the EU-CSW-CERTEX system is developed and designed with a high level of cyber security and includes fail-safe tools. Member States should ensure that national Single Window environments for customs are safe, secure and protected from cyber threats.

Work programme

The work programme should be reviewed and updated regularly, at least once every three years , in order to assess and improve overall implementation of this Regulation. By 31 December 2026 and every three years thereafter, the Commission should submit to the European Parliament and to the Council a report on the implementation of this Regulation.

PURPOSE: to establish an EU Single Window environment for customs with a view to improving the application of EU regulatory requirements throughout the Union and facilitating international trade.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: in an ever-changing international trade environment, ‘Single Window’ initiatives have gained importance in recent years as a means of streamlining the customs clearance process at borders, within and across the EU.

The Single Window concept is understood as a digital solution for the exchange of electronic information between public authorities and between public authorities and economic operators.

The Commission launched a pilot project, the ‘EU Customs Single Window - Common Veterinary Entry Document’ (EU CSW-CVED) in 2015 in which the customs administrations of five Member States participated on a voluntary basis. Its successor, the EU Single Window Certificate Exchange System for Customs (EU CSW-CERTEX), extended the scope of the regulatory requirements and introduced new functionalities, such as quantity management. The number of participating Member States has increased to nine, and an increasing number of policy areas are also covered.

The EU CSW-CERTEX pilot project has responded to the need to ensure a suitable digital environment for all parties involved in international trade by generating economies of scale. In the light of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to put in place a stronger framework for the Customs Union and to continue to facilitate the fulfilment of customs and EU non-customs formalities in order to support economic recovery.

This proposal is the first step towards the implementation of a broader action plan launched in September 2020, fully in line with the Commission's long-term vision of taking the Customs Union to the next level.

CONTENT: the legislative proposal aims to establish a harmonised and interoperable EU Single Window environment for customs. This system involves the provision of a fully integrated set of electronic services at EU and national level to exchange information between customs and partner competent authorities and to streamline goods clearance procedures for economic operators.

The Commission, together with the Member States, will continue to design, operate and maintain the central electronic system (EU CSW-CERTEX) to facilitate the exchange of data between all actors involved in the good clearance process.

The general aims of the proposal include:

1) creating a central EU system to interconnect the national single window environments for customs and EU non-customs systems, enabling digital cooperation between the regulatory authorities involved in the clearance of goods;

2) harmonising the national single window environments for customs and their functionalities and;

3) the establishment of specific rules for the purposes of digital administrative cooperation

The proposal pursues the following objectives:

- enhanced cooperation between customs and competent authorities in charge of enforcing non-customs regulatory formalities required for international trade to expand and improve the IT pilot solution;

- improved enforcement of cross-border regulatory formalities. The information exchanges between customs and non-customs authority systems would allow automated customs controls of supporting documents, electronic feedback of the customs clearance to the partner competent authorities and a better integration of the applicable customs and non-customs procedures;

- streamline goods clearance procedures for economic operators by defining a framework for data harmonisation and enabling the re-use of data provided by economic operators;

- improve EU-wide quantity management in non-customs formalities.

BUDGETARY IMPLICATION: the impact on operational appropriations is estimated at EUR 64.730 million for the period 2022-2028.