A Commission staff working document published on 14 July 2026 reports on progress in developing electronic customs systems under the Union Customs Code (UCC), covering 14 trans-European and 3 national systems. All projects are required to be completed and fully operational by the end of 2025, with the document detailing 12 completed and 10 ongoing projects.
The UCC entered into force on 1 May 2016, with completion deadlines set for end of 2020, 2022, or 2025 depending on the system. The Commission gathered progress data from Member States via bi-annual national planning, a February 2025 EU survey, project manager reports, bilateral high-level meetings with Member States' Customs IT Directorates, and trans-European coordination programmes.
Completed projects include the UCC Registered Exporter System (REX), deployed 1 January 2017; UCC Customs Decisions; UCC Direct Trader Access (UUM&DS); UCC Economic Operator Registration and Identification System Upgrade (EORI2); UCC Surveillance 3 (SURV3); UCC Binding Tariff Information (BTI); UCC Authorised Economic Operators (AEO) Upgrade; UCC Information Sheets (INF) for Special Procedures; UCC Import Control System 2 (ICS2) – Release 1 & 2; UCC Guarantee Management (GUM) – Component 1; UCC Proof of Union Status (PoUS) – Phase 1; and UCC New Computerised Transit System (NCTS) Upgrade – Component 1.
Ongoing projects include Notification of Arrival, Presentation Notification and Temporary Storage; National Import System Upgrade; Special Procedures Components 1 and 2; Guarantee Management Component 2; Centralised Clearance for Import; NCTS Upgrade Component 2; Automated Export System; ICS2 Release 3; and Proof of Union Status Phase 2.
Member States reported best practices including dedicated national project teams, Agile and in-house development, phased implementation, early integration testing, and close stakeholder engagement. Key challenges included aligning diverse national IT systems, managing interdependencies across parallel projects, adapting to changes in EU technical specifications, tight procurement timelines, constrained budgets, limited technical staff, and data-related obstacles.
Stakeholder impact The report affects EU customs authorities, which must complete the remaining systems by end-2025, facing tight deadlines and resource constraints. EU traders and logistics operators will benefit from streamlined customs procedures once systems are fully operational, but may face transitional disruptions. National governments bear the cost of IT upgrades and staff training, with constrained budgets posing a risk. The European Commission oversees coordination and may need to provide additional support to Member States lagging behind.
Institutional follow-up The European Parliament and the Council will review the report as part of their oversight of UCC implementation. The Commission is expected to continue monitoring progress and may propose further measures if deadlines are not met.