New entry summary declarations for maritime, road and rail transport to be introduced on 1 March 2024

The new entry summary declarations are introduced in the EU over the period 2021–2024. The declarations for postal consignments were already introduced in 2021 and the declarations for air transport will be introduced on 1 March 2023. The declarations for the other modes of transport – maritime, road and rail transport – will be introduced next year, on 1 March 2024. The new declarations can be submitted either via the EU’s e-service or via message exchange.

How will the entry summary declarations change?

In future, if a maritime carrier doesn’t have access to all the details required for the entry summary declaration, e.g. the consignor, the forwarding agency or the importer can submit the entry summary declaration with the house consignment details. The required safety and security data as well as the number of the carrier’s master level transport document must be provided in the declaration. The carrier will submit its own entry summary declaration with the master consignment details.

In the new entry summary declaration, e.g. the following safety and security data will be mandatory:

• details of the consignee

• details of the consignor

• goods description

• commodity code at the level of at least six digits.

The message declarations must be tested in the Commission’s service and with Customs

Message declarants must test the entry summary declaration and the related arrival notification in the Commission’s testing service. If a message declarant uses an IT service provider for technical sending of messages, the IT service provider will test the message exchange.

In addition to the entry summary declaration and the arrival notification, a presentation notification for goods unloaded in Finland will be submitted regarding maritime and rail transports. It will be submitted to Finnish Customs via the Customs Clearance Service or via message exchange. This message notification shall be tested with Finnish Customs.

The transition periods will be confirmed later

Businesses can apply for a transition period for changing over to the new declarations. The final transition periods will be confirmed when the Commission publishes its 2023 update of the EU’s Multi-Annual Strategic Plan (MASP) and when the timetables are confirmed by legislation. 

The transition periods will vary by the mode of transport. The current plan is that the transition period for maritime carriers will continue until no later than the end of 2024 and that the transition period for road and rail transport would continue until no later than 1 April 2025.

Read about the Commission’s plan regarding the transition period, ”ICS2 Transition from R2 to R3” on the EU’s Circabc website, in the public group ”ICS2 Release 3: maritime, road, rail and postal and express goods transported via those modes”.

More information
Changes to entry declarations and temporary storage declarations
UCC(at)tulli.fi