News
The European Commission has been working to rewrite the European Union's advance cargo data reporting requirements for quite a while, and is now in the final stages of completing its proposal as part of the implementation of the new Union Customs Code (UCC).
Of the many changes for containerized maritime commerce being proposed by the regulatory agency, two are of particular significance. One is the proposal to require non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOCCs) / freight forwarders to file entry summary declarations (ENS) just as ocean carriers do today. ENS filings must be made to the European Customs office of first entry 24 hours before a container is loaded onto a ship for transport to the EU in deep sea traffic.
Second, the commission is looking for a short-cut way to obtain the identity of the buyer and seller of the imported goods before vessel loading. Instead of getting it from the importer, like the U.S. does, the commission's proposed regulation would require that this information be provided to the carrier / NVOCC – or in the alternative, to the consignee – to be filed in an ENS as a condition of vessel loading.
The buyer and seller data may be business confidential information, and that it is not appropriate to require its disclosure to ocean carriers / NVOCCs or consignees. Trade associations involving carriers, freight forwarders and shippers are opposing the commission's proposal to require the identity of the buyer and seller of goods to be a part of a carrier's ENS filing.
The commission regulations for the implementation of the UCC are scheduled to be adopted in May 2015 and expected to take effect on May 1, 2016.
