EU CDS: Fast-track customs authorisations across Europe
The EU's Customs Decision System is an impressive way to get customs permissions across Europe. Fast track your trade with the EU's CDS argues Arne Mielken of Customs Manager Ltd.
The Union Customs Code (UCC) provides that all your communication with customs authorities across Europe for customs purposes must be done electronically.
The CDS allows traders to use a European Union (EU) trader portal to apply for and manage customs decisions electronically. The CDS is used to exchange and store information in relation to 22 specific customs decisions.
The CDS is a centrally developed EU system. It has been implemented simultaneously with the Uniform User Management and Digital Signature system (UUMDS). The UUMDS allows economic operators and their representatives access to the EU Trader Portal.
The CDS is to be used for:
all applications and decisions which may have an impact in more than one Member State
and
any subsequent annulment, suspension, revocation or amendment of an authorisation.
Many EU member states also uses the CDS to manage national customs decisions, that is, those which only apply in one Member State. This is optional but useful and saves customs authorities work to develop their own systems.
Main features
The CDS has the following features:
Allows the electronic processing and storage of applications and authorisations.
Allows traders to apply for and manage their customs decisions via a single EU interface.
Allows EU customs authorities to consult with each other about the granting and management of authorisations that are valid in more than one Member State.
Provides system-to-system access for our existing import, export and transit systems to authorisation data. This allows customs authorities throughout the EU to check the existence and validity of customs decisions.
How to apply for customs decisions using CDS
You should apply to the customs authority in the Member State where:
you hold your main accounts for customs purposes
you carry out at least a part of the activities related to the relevant customs decision.
EXAMPLE from Ireland: When applying in Ireland for any of the 22 customs decisions, you should select the customs office IENEN003 as the Decision Taking Customs Authority.
What do traders need to do?
You should do the following to ensure that you can access the CDS:
be registered in the Member State for use of CDS, for example through a certificate or registration with the national authorities
have a valid Economic Operators' Registration and Identification (EORI) number.
How to access the CDS
Economic operators can access the system in the European Union trader portal. To lodge an application, you must be authenticated in the trader portal.
Uniform User Management and Digital Signature system (UUMDS)
This authentication is handled by the Uniform User Management and Digital Signature system (UUMDS) together with the national registration. You can use the UUMDS to assign responsibility for customs applications and authorisations (delegation) to your customs representative.
What you can do in the CDS
You can use the CDS to do the following:
apply for a decision
attach required supporting documents
check the status of the application
request extension of the time-limit
express right to be heard
request to amend, suspend or revoke a decision.
Examples of the decisions for which CDS could possibly be used
This may vary according to Member State
Authorised Consignee Transit
ACE
Applications and authorisations for the status of authorised consignee for Union transit
Authorised Issuer
ACP
Applications and authorisations for authorised issuer
Authorised Consignor Transit
ACR
Applications and authorisations for the status of authorised consignor for Union transit
Authorised Consignee TIR
ACT
Applications and authorisations for the status of authorised consignee for TIR operations
Authorised Weigher of Bananas
AWB
Application and authorisation for the status of authorised weigher of bananas
Centralised Clearance
CCL
Applications and authorisations for centralised clearance
Comprehensive Guarantees
CGU
Applications and authorisations relating to comprehensive guarantees
Customs Value
CVA
Applications and authorisations relating to the simplification for the determination of amounts being part of the customs value of the goods
Customs Warehousing
CW1, CW2, CWP
Applications and authorisations for the operation of storage facilities for customs warehousing of goods (Type 1, Type 2, Private)
Deferred Payment
DPO
Applications and authorisations for deferred payment, excluding those relating to a single operation
Entry of data in declarant’s records
EIR
Applications and authorisations for entry of data in the declarant’s records, including for the export procedure
Electronic Transport Documents
ETD
Applications and authorisations for the use of an electronic transport document as customs declaration
End Use
EUS
Applications and authorisations for the use of end use
Inward Processing
IPO
Applications and authorisations for the use of inward processing
Outward Processing
OPO
Applications and authorisations for the use of outward processing
Regular Shipping Services
RSS
Applications and authorisations for regular shipping services
Self-Assessment
SAS
Applications and authorisations for self-assessment
Simplified Declaration
SDE
Applications and authorisations for the use of simplified declaration
Special Seals
SSE
Applications and authorisations for the use of seals of a special type
Temporary Admission
TEA
Applications and authorisations for the use of temporary admission procedure
Transit Reduced Dataset
TRD
Applications and authorisations for the use of a transit declaration with reduced dataset
Temporary Storage
TST
Applications and authorisations for the operation of temporary storage facilities
Weblinks
EU Commission: https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/business/customs-procedures/customs-decisions_en