The European Commission today launched a new import control system (ICS2), which is a major strengthening of the "first line of defense" of the Customs Union against security threats posed by the illegal movement of goods across the external borders of the EU, according to a statement on the website of the European Commission.
In the first phase, ICS2 will focus on postal and express shipments entering the EU or via the EU by air, before eventually being applied to all modes of freight transport.
ICS2 is a new advanced cargo risk management platform at the heart of the reform of the EU's pre-arrival security and protection customs program. It will gradually replace the existing import control system in three editions between 15 March 2021 and 1 March 2024. At the first stage, it will cover postal and express deliveries, at the second, by March 2023 - air cargo transportation, and in March 2024 - sea, rail and road transport.
The updated system is based on improved control and exchange of data on the origin of goods and supply links. Along with the “usual” procedures, the new system will for the first time include the possibility of operational risk analysis, which will be carried out in real time. This presupposes the introduction of a unified electronic database and the exchange of information on existing risks and trade operations, close cooperation between the structures of the European Commission, the customs authorities of the member states and business representatives.
