Launch of Updated EU Import Control System ICS2

From 01 April 2025, the European Union will introduce the updated Import Control System 2 (ICS2), which will change the rules for the movement of goods and oblige carriers to provide enhanced information about goods through an Entry Summary Declaration (ENS).

The ENS contains details related to the upcoming shipment of cargo, and the need to submit it is to allow customs authorities to analyse the risk and security of the incoming shipment.

Failure to comply with the requirements may result in fines or delays in the customs release of the shipment.
The ENS customs declaration may, in particular, include information about:

the vessel or vehicle transporting the goods;
the route used to enter and move through the EU;
persons or companies involved in the transport (sender, consignee, carrier, etc.);
goods imported into the EU.

The new rules are already in place for air, sea and inland water transport of goods, and will now apply to other carriers (including rail, road, postal, and express services).

To comply with the new EU ICS2 rules, economic operators must:

obtain an Economic Operator Registration and Identification Number (EORI) from the customs authority of the EU member state;
prepare their software to work with the System and pass a self-conformance test;
collect accurate customer data.

Companies that won’t be ready to work with the System must contact the National Service Office of the EU Member State where they registered and received their EORI number by 01 March 2025 to request a deployment window. Such deployment windows will be available only upon request.