News
Japan International Freight Forwarders Association Inc. （JIFFA） on May 1, 2012 held a seminar on the so called ''24-hour rule'' the EU applies and challenges it faces.
Lance Thompson of Conex, a French customs procedure management service provider, was invited to the seminar during his trip to Japan.
Thompson said the Import Control System （ICS）, which is the EU’s 24-hour rule, has many problems.
In operating the ICS, the EU’s 27 nations have different systems and different communication protocols, according to him.
Some of the systems are old, as they were created in the 1970s, while others are new, developed in or after 2000, he added.
Some member nations make users have cards with built-in IC chips, while others required signatures.
Thompson also explained differences from the U.S., where the 24-hour rule is operated more strictly, saying there is no unified rule in Europe on imposing penalties to violators.
If one violates the ICS, the violator will be accused of a criminal offence by the criminal law of the country where the violation is committed, he said.
In late December 2010, the EU’s 27 economies began operating the ICS on a trial basis.
In July 2011, six months after the inauguration, the system became official, operated on a full-fledged scale.
However, as nothing has since been reported on the operation of the ICS, JIFFA decided to hold the seminar.
As a similar rule is scheduled to take effect in 2014 in Japan, some 100 individuals were present at the seminar, most of which were employees of JIFFA member companies.
