The EU customs authorities are the guardian of the EU’s external borders for goods: they ensure safety and security alongside the supply chain through customs controls and inspections.
Customs authorities uphold and enforce, together with other authorities, EU rules and regulatory requirements including health and safety, environmental protection, intellectual property rights, fisheries and agriculture.
Customs also protect the fiscal interests of the EU and its Member States by collecting customs duties and other taxes (excise and VAT).
Customs authorities are on the front line in the fight against fraud, terrorism and organised crime. They cooperate with administrations and agencies responsible for other policies related to borders and internal security. In the EU more than 83 000 officials work around the clock to prevent illegal and/or dangerous goods from entering the bloc. They work at airports, border crossings, seaports, inland customs offices and customs laboratories to manage the day-to-day operations of the customs union.
Drugs trafficking
Smuggling of tobacco and cigarettes
Weapons trafficking
In 2024, EU customs seized more than 4 000 firearms, 900 000 pieces of ammunition and more than 180 000 explosive items.
Property rights and Counterfeits
Customs intercepts counterfeit/pirated goods. This also protects the jobs of people working for legitimate manufacturers. On more than 66 000 occasions, products suspected of violating intellectual property rights were intercepted by the customs in the EU in 2024.
Product conformity
Customs enforce EU rules and regulatory requirements at the borders to protect consumers and maintain the integrity of the Single Market.
In 2024, EU customs detected more than 61 000 cases of goods that did not meet the requirements and could have endangered consumers.
Endangered species & cultural theft
Customs detect illegal trade: e.g. ivory, protected animals, birds and plants and major artwork. In 2024, more than 3 000 infringements of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) regulations were detected, and 88 breaches of the rules on exporting cultural goods.
Terrorism / Security
Among other actions, customs checks help combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism, by controlling cash movements at the EU borders. Travellers entering or leaving the EU must declare amounts of cash exceeding €10 000 (or its equivalent in other currencies) to customs authorities. Customs also help police and immigration services fight human trafficking, drugs, pornography and firearms – and other aspects of organised crime and terrorism.
EU budget
Customs ensure the correct and efficient collection of duties, and the detection, investigation and prosecution of fraud.
In 2024, the share of detected unpaid duties, compared to the collected duties was equal to 1.83%.
Dual use technologies
Anything that could be used to make nuclear or chemical weapons must have the appropriate export licence.