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On May 31st, members of the CLECAT Customs and Indirect Taxation Institute (CITI) met in Brussels to discuss a full agenda of EU customs related topics.  The meeting focused on several key topics for European customs agents and freight forwarders, including the recent survey for the Interim Evaluation of the Customs Programme, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), the third release of the Import Control System (ICS2), and the Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).  Members also debated the ongoing discussions at EU level on the EU Customs Reform and the presentation the Chair of the CITI, Mr Dimitri Sérafimoff will make at the Informal Customs Union Working Group organised by the Belgian Presidency in June.

Members also received updates on this week's informal meeting of the Trade Contact Group, where European trade associations discussed shared interests and joint initiatives on several customs-related topics.

It was noted that 2024 sees an unprecedented number of Customs IT system launches as some of the largest elements of the UCC Work Program finally unroll. New environmental and product safety regulations, due to be implemented by Customs Authorities, are also coming into force, making the schedule for Customs Intermediaries very tight indeed this year.  With the expert members of the CITI closely monitoring both the various implementation procedures as well as all the new developments, CLECAT members throughout the EU are enabled to be among the first to adapt to these rapid changes and provide immediate and valuable feedback to legislators.