4 EU countries missed July 1 deadline for ICS2

Four countries remained noncompliant in the second phase of a new import control system in Europe as of the July 1 deadline, which may cause delays. The Import Control System 2 (ICS2), which requires carriers and forwarders to digitally submit detailed descriptions of their cargo before entering EU countries, went into effect last Saturday. It has been in effect for postal and express goods since March 2021, enforced by the European Commission (EC) and each member state’s customs authority. [caption id="attachment_57136162" align="alignright" width="300"] (Photo: CanStock/pdtnc)[/caption] Estonia, Greece, Denmark and Romania were not ready by July 1, Kester Meijer , d irector operational integrity, compliance and safety at KLM , told Air Cargo Next. The noncompliance is due to a combination of “technical compatibility, inadequate or delayed testing, non-alignment of procedures and postal refusal,” Glyn Hughes , director general at TIACA told Air Cargo Next. “Testing was impossible due to security certificates not working,” Meijer added. At the initial March 1 deadline, 12 European Union countries were not prepared to meet ICS2 requirements and were given a three-month extension to become compliant. The countries not prepared at that time included: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Estonia, Denamark, Greece, France, Luxemburg, The Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Sweden. ICS2 requires use of the Pre-Loading Advance Cargo Information (PLACI) system, a new data system in the process , according to IATA . “The delayed implementation of PLACI in 12 European states must be urgently addressed,” Brendan Sullivan , IATA’s global head of cargo, said in a March release. “With supply chain difficulties already impacting people and businesses, the risk of increased delays for customs clearance must be avoided. It is exasperating that 12 European governments have not met the implementation timeline and have yet to provide definitive indication of when they will be ready.” The EC did not respond to inquiries from Air Cargo Next but stated: “If economic operators are not ready on time and do not provide the necessary ICS2 data, consignments and freight will be stopped at the EU customs borders and the goods in question will not be cleared by the customs authorities. Furthermore, inadequate declarations will either be rejected or subject to intervention, with penalties imposed for non-compliance.” ICS2 protects internal market A focus of the mandate is to be “the first line of defense in terms of protection of the EU internal market and the EU consumers” by the EU, according to IATA. The program is intended to streamline EU customs and security. According to the EC, it will: Increase protection of EU citizens and the internal market; Allow EU Customs Agency authorities to better identify high-risk consignments and intervene at the best point in the supply chain; Support proportionate, targeted customs measures at external borders in crisis response scenarios; Facilitate cross-border clearance for legitimate trade; and Simplify information exchange between EU Customs Agency authorities and businesses and organizations. “Customs action at the external border plays an essential role in protecting citizens and the internal market against safety and security threats,” the EU website said on the subject. “Advance cargo information and risk analysis will enable early identification of threats and help customs to intervene at the most appropriate place in supply chain.” Several carriers and forwarders, including American Airlines Cargo , Lufthansa , Air France KLM , DSV and Champ Cargosystems , present extensive FAQs pages on ICS2 procedures on their websites. The EC also has compiled comprehensive information regarding all components of the mandate on its own website. Join Air Cargo Next for the second Air Cargo Tech Summit on Monday, Sept. 18, and Tuesday, Sept. 19, at the Brussels Marriott Hotel Grand Place in Belgium. For more information on the summit and to register, click here .

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