New EU import control measures will impact on Northern Ireland Protocol

The European Commission has confirmed to AgriLand that the EU’s new import control measures (ICS2) will impact on the Northern Ireland Protocol, established as part of the final Brexit settlement.

A commission spokesperson said:

“ICS2 is the new advance cargo risk management platform at the heart of the reform of the EU’s Customs Pre-arrival Safety and Security programme. It will gradually replace the existing import control system in three releases between March 15, 2021, and March 1, 2024.

In the first step which entered into force this week, express carriers and designated postal operators established in the EU will begin providing a subset of their Entry Summary Declaration data for postal consignments before goods are loaded on aircraft bound for the EU.

“These ICS2 requirements also apply in Northern Ireland, in accordance with the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland, as will the subsequent phased releases for general air cargo in March 2023, and maritime, rail and road cargo in 2024.”

More efficient and effective risk-based approach

Paolo Gentiloni, EU Commissioner for the Economy said: 

The release will bring a step-change in the capacity of customs to help protect our citizens and the EU’s internal market from wide-ranging threats posed by the traffic of dangerous and illicit goods.

In essence, ICS2 will help deliver a more efficient and effective risk-based approach to customs controls in our rapidly-evolving supply chains, while supporting a level playing field and facilitating legitimate trade across our external borders.

Starting this year with Release 1, the programme will progressively introduce improved supply chain data collected by customs and new tools and processes in order to enable, for the first time, real-time collaborative risk.

ICS2 involves a complete overhaul of the existing regime from the perspectives of IT, customs risk management and trade operations, and has been prepared in close collaboration between the commission, member state customs authorities and businesses.

In Release 1 of ICS2, express carriers and designated postal operators established in the EU will begin providing a subset of their Entry Summary Declaration data before goods are loaded on aircraft bound for the EU.

The first release of ICS2 will, in particular, introduce advance cargo information for postal consignments for the first time.