16.08.2024
In December 2022, the Regulation establishing the European Union Single Window Environment for Customs came into force (Regulation (EU) 2022/2399). This regulation aims to simplify the processing of information related to non-customs formalities, allowing companies to engage in international trade more easily and efficiently. Additionally, it enhances security within the European Union (EU) by ensuring that controls on non-customs formalities are carried out in a uniform manner. The first phase of this regulation focuses on the implementation of the EU-CSW-CERTEX system, commonly known as CERTEX.
What is CERTEX?
CERTEX is an advanced system that connects customs systems with the EU’s non-customs systems. This allows Customs to access relevant data within these non-customs systems, which is crucial for making informed decisions about whether or not to release goods for a specific procedure. The regulation stipulates that from March 2025, Customs must work in an automated manner with these non-customs systems for specific non-customs formalities.
An example of such a non-customs formality is meeting the phytosanitary requirements (GGB PP) for the importation of certain goods. Another example is adhering to the quotas for fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gas), which is necessary to release goods into free circulation within the EU.
View the Regulation (EU) 2022/2399.
What does CERTEX mean for your customs declaration?
The implementation of CERTEX will further automate the process of handling customs declarations. This means that you will need to accurately reference the relevant non-customs formalities, such as permits, in your declarations. At present, Customs is assessing the impact of CERTEX on the declaration process and working on a realistic timeline for its implementation. We expect to provide more information on this in September.
Do you have questions?
Do you have urgent questions about CERTEX? Please contact our implementation team via email: douane.implementatie.certex@douane.nl.
