The European Commission (EC) proposed creating a single window for streamline procedures related to non-customs border controls on goods entering or leaving the European Union, which would facilitate this process for manufacturers and authorities carrying out controls.
«Today's proposal is the First step in creating a digital framework for greater cooperation between all border authorities "through a single window. The single window will allow businesses and traders to provide data in a single portal in an individual Member State, thus reducing duplication, time and costs," the Commission explained in a statement. release.
In practice, the proposal assumes that Each Member State establishes its own single portal where companies can provide all the information about the goods they are exporting or importing, a platform that should replace a multitude of different portals currently used by each authority responsible for controls in each country.
Subsequently, the 27 National portals would be linked through a digital framework to be launched by the European Commission so that all relevant authorities in the EU can access the information they need and collaborate more closely on border controls.
The Commission recognises that the current system requires companies to submit information to national authorities in areas such as health, safety, environment or agriculture, typically each with their own individual platform and procedures.
"This is cumbersome, time-consuming for traders and reduces the ability of authorities to act together to combat risks," Brussels said.
Today's proposal is the first concrete result of the Action plan adopted in September 2020 to take the Customs Union to the next level in order to facilitate the process for companies and authorities. The initiative simplifies the submission of information to a single platform, while verifying it more automatically.
Without this system, the Commission warns, the EU could lose out in terms of competitiveness. compared to other international partners that do have a similar system in place.
The Commission points out that the implementation of this project will require "significant investment" from the EU and the countries themselves, both to change legislation and IT processes and systems, which Brussels hopes to be able to support through the funds of the Recovery and Resilience Instrument, the main pillar of the post-pandemic recovery fund.
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