What is Customs?

The Customs programme supports the essential cooperation between customs authorities across the EU and protects the financial and economic interests of the European Union and its Member States. It has helped to build a modern and innovative Customs Union that ensures the safety and security of all EU citizens, while at the same time facilitating growing global trade. It allows the joint development and operation of major, pan-European IT systems and establishes networks, bringing together national officials from across Europe. Following the conclusions of the European Council of 17-21 July 2020, and subject to the agreement with the European Parliament, the Customs programme has a budget of €950 million for the period 2021-2027, an increase from €523 million in the period 2014-2020.

The new customs budget will help customs administrations to deal with increasing trade flows and emerging trends and technologies, such as e-commerce and blockchain. It will also support customs authorities through enhanced cooperation on the ground and more training. The programme will help to provide better risk management to protect the EU's financial interests and to respond to security threats and cross-border crime.

Why Customs?

The Customs programme allows the Commission to manage over 40 European IT systems that help to control the import, export and transit of goods and reduce red tape for legitimate traders. For example, the anti-Counterfeit and anti-Piracy system protects Intellectual Property Rights. The Customs Decision System enables import and export authorisations to be given to businesses, valid throughout the entire EU, while the Registered Exporters Systems make available up-to-date and comprehensive information on registered exporters that are established in non-EU countries and that have preferential arrangements with the EU. These tools help European customs authorities to better perform their duties at our borders. In 2017 alone, these systems allowed 331 million customs declarations in 2017 to be handled and helped customs officers to seize 2.7 million pieces of ammunition and 188,000 pieces of explosives in 2017.

When it comes to cooperation on the ground, the programme funds expert teams of customs officials from different Member States who work together in different fields. This allows EU countries to pool expertise in specific domains or carry out operational activities with the support of online collaboration services, administrative assistance and infrastructure and equipment facilities.
The programme also finances the development of eLearning courses on topics of common interest for customs administrations and business and trade representatives.

Objectives of the programme

The new Customs Programme will help put in place a modern Customs Union which puts the interests of EU business and citizens at its heart, by: