25 September 2024

CLECAT CUSTOMS AND INDIRECT TAXATION INSTITUTE MEETS IN BUDAPEST

On 19th September, members of the CLECAT Customs and Indirect Taxation Institute (CITI) convened in Budapest, honouring an invitation extended by the Hungarian Customs Association. The meeting, held at the Budapest Marriott Hotel, brought together CLECAT’s national member associations and their delegated customs professionals to discuss key developments and initiatives impacting European customs agents and freight forwarders.

Ms Irisz Tomcsányi, Customs Attaché of Hungary, on behalf of the Hungarian Presidency of the EU, addressed participants through a video message, providing a brief update on the ongoing discussions in the Council concerning the Customs Reform package.

CITI members received updates on the recent informal meeting of the Trade Contact Group’s (TCG) trade members and discussed included preparations for the upcoming TCG plenary meeting, scheduled for 8th October, ICS2 and CBAM.  A significant part of the agenda focused on updates on the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), a topic of growing significance for customs and trade professionals. Members were briefed on the latest developments and the progress of the regulation's implementation, referencing a recent CLECAT meeting with DG ENVI.

As part of the two-day event, CITI members were also given the unique opportunity to visit the Hungarian Parliament, adding a cultural and historical dimension to the gathering. The meeting was made even more memorable by the fact that the embankments of Budapest were submerged, following the highest flood of the Danube in the past decade, which reached the city during the days of the CITI meeting. CLECAT would like to take this opportunity to repeatedly express their gratitude for the Hungarian Members for their organisational work and kind hospitality.