ICS - IMPORT CONTROL SYSTEM

ICS (Import Control System) is the electronic security declaration management system for the importation of goods into the European Union customs territory. This EU regulation comes into force at the end of 2010.

ICS (Import Control System) comes within the scope of the EU eCUSTOMS programme.
Developed in the framework of the standards for international trade advocated by the World Customs Organisation, its aim is to further ensure the protection of importation movements into the EU.
The new regulation requires that a certain number of data elements be sent to the EU customs office of first entry before the merchandise enters the territory and in most cases, even before leaving the country of export.

Upon receipt of the ENS (Entry Summary Declaration) message, the customs office of first entry performs the security-related risk analysis.

These extra regulatory security measures will impose new work methods on exporters managing trade flows towards the EU: global data exchange in an EDI format, up-stream data transfer, and all this in a regulatory framework that differs from one EU Member State to another.

Are you feeling lost in the complexities of the EU ICS regulations?
Why not let our team of experts help you to find your way?

If you have a question relating to ICS and how it affects you and your business activity, simply enter it into the ICS via conex mail box. We’ll send a response to your query directly to your email in-box.

So, save time, stay informed and be ready when ICS comes into force on 1st January 2011.

New Security Programs in Air Freight: ACAS

After the Yemen Incident (bombes destined for the US which almost passed through the pre-arrival security declarations), American Customs has started a new system called ACAS (Air Cargo Advanced Screening). The project which is currently in a pilot-test-phase in North America is inspiring the EU-Commission and a similar program is being studied for Europe. >>> Read

Security declaration at exit of the EU

Since 1 July 2009 export declarations have to be lodged in electronic form and must contain additional data elements introduced for safety and security purposes where no other form of declaration (e.g. orally or by crossing the frontier) may be, and is, used. Two procedures should be distinguished: ECS and EXS. There should be either one or the other filed for goods leaving the EU. It is not necessary to file both. >>> Read

LANGUAGES THAT CAN BE USED FOR EXS and ENS (European Union)

The European Union has 27 countries where different languages are spoken. This complicated situation is managed by CONEX for transmissions exchanged with the customs administrations at the first point of entry into EU.
>>> To consult the list of languages per country published by the European Commission Directorate –General  Taxation and Customs Union, please click here.

The grace period, which has been already extended several times, for the implementation of ICS should end on June 30th 2011.
From July 1st , EU advance security declarations become mandatory for all goods entering the European Union customs territory, regardless of their first point of entry...Read

ICS and Risk Analysis: A Comparison Demonstrating the Effectiveness of the Data

The annual WCO Information Technologies Conference was held in the beginning of May 2011 in Seattle, US. Though the theme of the conference was “Cloud Computing”, the subject of EU’s recently implemented Import Control System (ICS) was briefly discussed. Mr. David Hesketh of British customs (HMRC) and Mr. Heijmann of Dutch Customs co-presented an intervention on ICS.

Their illustration of the current system was very effective. Passenger security for air flights asks several basic questions about accompanying belongings; imagine if the responses are not “normal” >>> READ