ICS2 Archives

Import Control System 2 Extends to Rail and Road

Posted on 30 January, 202531 July, 2025 by David Priestman

The European Union’s Import Control System 2 (ICS2) aims to enhance the safety and security of goods entering the EU by introducing a standardised, pre-arrival customs process for all transportation modes, including road and rail, in addition to the existing air, maritime and inland waterway requirements. By mandating the submission of accurate and complete Entry Summary Declaration (ENS) data prior to arrival, the ICS2 enables customs authorities to better assess the risks associated with incoming goods, thereby improving the EU’s ability to prevent and combat customs offenses, and ultimately ensuring a safer and more secure trade environment.

From 1 April 2025, road and rail carriers will need to provide data on goods sent to or through the EU prior to their arrival, through a complete ENS. This obligation also concerns postal and express carriers who transport goods using these modes of transport as well as other parties, such as logistics providers. In certain circumstances, final consignees established in the EU will also have to submit ENS data in the ICS2.

Economic operators who are not ready by this date need to contact the National Service Desk of the EU Member State (National Customs Authority) where they have registered and obtained their EORI number to request a deployment window by 1 March 2025, at the latest. Deployment windows are granted only upon request.

To comply with the ICS2 requirements, affected businesses will be required to make sure they collect accurate and complete data from their clients, update their IT systems and operational processes, and provide adequate training to their staff. Economic operators will also need to successfully complete a self-conformance test before connecting to the ICS2, to verify their ability to access and exchange messages with customs authorities. Goods might be stopped at EU borders and might not be cleared by customs authorities if traders do not meet the ICS2 requirements on time.

ICS2 in detail

The ICS2 has been developed through close collaboration between the European Commission, Member States’ customs authorities and businesses. Starting from 1 September 2025, the ICS1 will phase out. The ICS2 will fully replace the ICS1 with an entirely new business process in accordance with the Union Customs Code. The European Commission organises monthly webinars (in English) where economic operators can ask questions about the operational and technical aspects of the ICS2. The next webinar is scheduled for 5 February 2025.

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Logistics Sector Calls for Action on new EU Import Declarations

Logistics Sector Calls for Action on new EU Import Declarations

Posted on 17 May, 202431 July, 2025 by Keith McKinley

Global and European trade associations representing commercial transport have issued an urgent alert to all businesses involved in the movement of goods into or via the EU, Norway, Switzerland or Northern Ireland, by sea, road or rail. The new Import Control System (ICS2) will start to be introduced from June this year.

The World Shipping Council, the International Federation of Freight Forwarders, the Global Shippers Forum, the European Community Association of Ship Brokers and Agents, the European Community Shipowners’ Associations, the European Associations for Forwarding, Transport, Logistics and Customs Services, the European Shippers Council and the International Road Transport Union have together stressed the importance of the new controls and their impact on the movement of goods into or via the European Customs Territory by sea, road and rail.

Awareness of the implementation of the new requirements is key, says the group, as is understanding how ICS2 will affect various entities in the supply chain at different times and in distinct ways.

ICS2 is an enhanced safety and security regime introduced jointly by customs authorities in the EU that requires specific details of imported goods to be provided before loading or before arrival at the EU border.

The requirements were introduced for air cargo in 2023 and will be extended to sea transport from June 2024 and for imports arriving by road or rail in 2025. The extensive new data requirements include six-digit HS codes for each item in a consignment, an “acceptable description” and detailed buyer and seller information.

The trade bodies, each representing different parties in the supply chain, have urged businesses involved in moving goods into the EU to begin their preparations for the extension of ICS2 now and to seek further information on how they will be affected. The European Commission’s website is the best place to start.

Failure to comply with ICS2 requirements will result in delays and disruptions to imports into the EU, and, potentially, in accordance with Member State practice, fines and penalties for persons liable for submitting the safety and security data to ICS2.

Cooperative efforts between the different parties involved in such shipments is crucial to keep goods moving, as symbolised by the joint call to action by the eight trade bodies.

Changes in Transportation of Goods to EU

Changes in Transportation of Goods to EU

Posted on 9 January, 202431 July, 2025 by David Priestman

The European Union’s new customs pre-arrival safety and security system – Import Control System 2 (ICS2) – will introduce a new process for entry of goods by maritime and inland waterways, road and rail in the EU as of 3 June 2024. This is the third phase or release of the implementation of the new system that will extend safety and security data reporting requirements to all modes of transport. Similar requirements for air transportation of goods were enacted earlier this year.

With this third release, maritime and inland waterways, road and rail carriers will also need to provide data on goods sent to or through the EU prior to their arrival, through a complete Entry Summary Declaration (ENS). This obligation also concerns postal and express carriers who transport goods using these modes of transport as well as other parties, such as logistics providers. In certain circumstances, final consignees established in the EU will also have to submit ENS data to ICS2.

Traders are strongly advised to prepare in advance for Release 3 to avoid the risk of delays and non-compliance. Affected businesses will be required to ensure they collect accurate and complete data from their clients, update their IT systems and operational processes and provide adequate training to their staff. From 11 December 2023, traders will also need to successfully complete a self-conformance test before connecting to ICS2, to verify their ability to access and exchange messages with customs authorities.

EU Member States will grant authorisation, upon request, to the affected traders to gradually connect to ICS2 within a time-limited deployment window. Member States can grant the deployment window anytime within the following timeframes: from 3 June 2024 to 4 December 2024 (maritime and inland waterway carriers); from 4 December 2024 to 1 April 2025 (maritime and inland waterway house level filers); and from 1 April 2025 to 1 September 2025 (road and rail carriers). If traders are not ready on time, and do not provide the data required under ICS2, goods will be stopped at the EU borders and will not be cleared by the customs authorities.

The EU is a major player in international trade – it accounts for around 14 % of the world’s trade in goods. By collecting safety and security data, EU customs authorities will be able to detect risks earlier and to intervene at the most appropriate point in the supply chain to keep trade safe for the EU and its citizens. ICS2 will simplify the movement of goods between customs offices at the first point of entry and final destination in the EU. ICS2 will provide a single access point to communicate with all EU Member States’ customs authorities for all EU operations instead of 27 national interfaces. For traders, ICS2 will also streamline requests for additional information and pre-departure risk screening by customs authorities, thus reducing administrative burdens for businesses.

ICS2 in detail

ICS2 has been prepared in close collaboration between the European Commission, Member States’ customs authorities and businesses. The system is being implemented in three releases that will gradually replace the existing import control system.

With Release 1, from 15 March 2021, postal and express consignments coming to or through the EU by air became subject to a subset of the Entry Summary Declaration (so called pre-loading advance cargo information – also known as PLACI) prior to their loading onto the aircraft bound for the EU. With ICS2 Release 2, from 1 March 2023, air cargo general consignments also became subject to the PLACI filing and to the complete set of data of the Entry Summary Declaration (ENS) prior to their arrival.

Release 3 is the third phase and will include maritime and inland waterways, rail and road modes of transport from 3 June 2024. Affected traders will need to be operationally ready for ICS2 within a time-limited deployment window. Like Release 2, the data filing will be provided in one single complete ENS filing, if all the necessary data is available to the party that files and assumes the responsibility for bringing the goods into the EU customs territory. Alternatively, it can be done with multiple filings, where more than one partial ENS filing is submitted by different actors in the supply chain. In case of multiple filings, each filer is responsible for ensuring that their own filings are submitted in a timely, accurate and complete way.

ICS2 in detail

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