The European Commission announced the implementation of a new pre-arrival security and safety program will become effective in three releases starting on March 15, 2021. The new program will help to establish an integrated European Union (EU) approach to reinforce the customs risk management framework, and it represents a complete overhaul and reform of the existing regime.  The IT system developed to support the program will be known as Import Control System 2 (ICS2) and will eventually collect data representing all goods entering the EU prior to the arrival of the goods.  Unlike the existing regime, data will be collected from all economic operators involved in the handling, shipping and transporting cargo, express, and postal consignments. 

The implementation phases are as given below:

• Release I, March 15, 2021: implementation for the pre-loading of air express and postal air shipments;
• Release II, March 1, 2023: implementation for general air cargo, full air express, and postal air shipments; and
• Release III, March 1, 2024: implementation for maritime, road, and rail cargo

More information to the ICS2 program can be found on the links provided below:

Link to the European Commission à https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/news/are-you-ready-ics2_en

Link to the ICS2 website à https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/general-information-customs/customs-security/ics2_en#heading_1