A notice of meeting and provisional agenda published by the Council of the European Union schedules the Working Party on Customs Union for 30 June 2026 at 10:00 in Brussels. The meeting will address EU positions within the World Customs Organization (WCO) on customs classification and mutual recognition of trusted trader programmes with Singapore.
The Commission is set to present a draft Council Decision on the EU position within the WCO regarding Explanatory Notes, Classification Opinions, and Nomenclature amendments under the Harmonized System Convention (document ST 10608/26 + ADD 1). This item aims to align EU customs classification with international standards. Delegations will also receive debriefings on the WCO Council's 147th/148th Sessions and the WCO Policy Commission's 94th Session, with possible documents to follow.
Another key agenda item is a draft Council Decision on the EU position in the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement's Customs Committee concerning mutual recognition of Singapore's Secure Trade Partnership Plus Programme and the EU's Authorised Economic Operator Programme (document ST 11187/26 + ADD 1). This would facilitate smoother customs procedures for trusted traders between the EU and Singapore.
The meeting also includes a role-play exercise with interpreters titled "A meeting as seen from the booth." Delegations must register their presence via the Delegates Portal, where meeting documents are available.
No prior coverage of this specific meeting exists in recent records. The Working Party on Customs Union typically prepares technical customs legislation and positions for higher Council bodies. The outcomes of this meeting could influence EU customs classification practices and trade facilitation with Singapore, impacting customs authorities, EU importers and exporters, and logistics operators. The draft decisions, if adopted, would formalise EU positions in international customs forums and bilateral trade committees.