The European Union (EU) has directed all freight forwarders, air carriers, express couriers, and postal operators transporting goods to or through the continent, to submit advance cargo information beginning from March 1, 2023.
Under the second stage of the EU’s new customs pre-arrival security and safety program, Import Control System 2 (ICS2) Release 2, the necessary cargo information is in the form of a full Entry Summary Declaration (ENS).
The rule imposes new advance data reporting obligations for pre-loading and pre-arrival customs risk assessments on economic operators who handle, send, ship, and carry cargo, express, or postal consignments into or across the EU by air.
The European Commission claimed that ICS2 facilitates efficient risk-based customs regulations while enabling the free flow of legitimate trade across the EU’s external borders by gathering data about all commodities entering the EU prior to their loading and arrival.
The goal of ICS2 is to make it easier to transit products between customs offices at the initial point of entry and the final location in the EU. ICS2 will simplify requests for additional information and pre-departure risk assessment by customs officials for commercial enterprises.
Under the multiple filing regime of Release 2, in addition to air carriers, freight forwarders, express couriers, and postal operators will also be legally obligated to provide data.
“They either have to share it with the air carriers, who will then complete the ENS filing requirements, or submit the data directly to ICS2. Postal operators and express couriers, who have previously been declaring partial information regarding inbound shipments (under ICS2 Phase 1), will now also be required to coordinate with their air carrier to submit all required data,” the statement read in part.
During the operational roll-out of Release 2, those who are currently entering advance cargo information into the Import Control System (ICS) for the air transport industry will have to gradually begin filing this data into ICS2.
To reduce the chance of delays and non-compliance, economic operators were strongly urged to get ready for Release 2 in advance.
The EU Import Control System 2 (ICS2) is a significant attempt to improve customs’ monitoring of the flow of commodities via air, sea, land, and interior waterways before they arrive at the EU’s external borders.
ICS2 permits legitimate trade into the customs territory of the EU, Norway, and Switzerland while allowing customs authorities to identify high-risk consignments that call for early intervention.
