Communication: First biennial report on progress in developing the EU Customs Union and its governance

Summary:

The Customs Union is one of the EU's earliest achievements and can be considered one of its main success stories. It has enabled the EU not only to remove internal borders but also to compete with the rest of the world. The EU's single market would be impossible without the tariff-free environment provided by the Customs Union and the role the latter plays in overseeing imports and exports.

The present Communication reviews the operation of the Customs Union to date and identifies priority issues ahead. The Communication should serve to enhance a dialogue with all stakeholders, including citizens, businesses, Member States, the European Parliament and other European Institutions, whose input to the continued success of the Customs Union is essential.

Further information:

In March 2017 the European Commission published its White Paper on the future of Europe, launching a debate with five possible scenarios for how the EU could develop over the years to come to embrace the many challenges it faces, that range from globalisation, to the impact of new technologies on society, to security concerns and the rise of populism.

The Commission believes that the Customs Union plays an important role in dealing with these challenges and therefore that its further development is vital.