Members of the European Parliament have approved a major overhaul of the EU Customs Code that tightens rules for cross-border e-commerce and creates a new customs authority, the Parliament announced.
What Parliament is doing
The reform was adopted on Wednesday after consideration in the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection. The measures introduce stricter rules aimed at e-commerce transactions and provide for the establishment of a new EU-level customs authority. The vote follows the committee’s work on the file; the European Parliament’s press notice did not provide the vote tally or details of amendments adopted.
Why it matters
The package targets the customs framework that governs the movement of goods into the EU, with specific attention to the growing volume of e-commerce shipments. By tightening rules for online trade and creating a central customs authority, the reform is presented as a structural change to how customs oversight and procedures are organised at EU level. The Parliament’s statement did not specify the precise operational responsibilities of the new authority, the scope of the stricter e-commerce rules, or transitional arrangements.
What happens next
The press release does not set out subsequent procedural steps, such as adoption by the Council, implementation timelines, or the legislative follow-up required to put the new customs authority into operation. Further technical and political work is likely to be needed to define detailed implementing measures and to agree on how the new authority will interact with national customs administrations, but those steps were not described in the Parliament’s announcement.
The Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection handled the dossier in Parliament. No names of rapporteurs, specific amendments, or detailed provisions were included in the brief official summary released with the adoption notice.
Source: European Parliament press release
