From 1 March 2024, in accordance with the provisions of the Union Customs Code (UCC), the Proof of Union Status (PoUS) system phase 1, which establishes electronic proofs in the form of T2L and T2LF data, has been launched by the Commission. The T2L and T2LF data are means to prove the Union status of goods in free circulation which have been brought from one point to another within the customs territory of the Union and temporarily leave that territory. The PoUS system allows for a harmonised and integrated process across the EU.
The PoUS system provides a central platform for the management of Economic Operators' proof requests and enables communication among the Member States' Customs Authorities and between them and Economic Operators for the purpose of submitting and processing the proofs of Union status in the form of T2L and T2LF data regulated by the UCC.
The PoUS system replaces the paper T2L and T2LF proofs and offers the benefit that Economic Operators and Customs Authorities have access to the data throughout the whole process.
The PoUS system also offers a single and electronic access point to the Economic Operators by means of the Specific Trader Portal (PoUS STP) (as part of the generic EU Customs Trader Portal). Through this portal, traders can key in and lodge their request to be then processed by the competent Customs Authorities. This portal allows Economic Operators to follow up the status of the request and to get information about the usage of the proof.
Furthermore, the user only uses its national credentials to enter the EU Customs Trader Portal and therefore does not need any new additional specific EU credential to do so. This has been made possible by the setup of an identity federation between the Commission and the 27 Customs Member States' Identify and Access Management systems (the Uniform User Management and Digital Signatures System or UUM&DS).
The PoUS system is the outcome of a comprehensive dialogue involving all stakeholders.
Modern IT systems created under the UCC are essential to allow customs to work efficiently and they are at the heart of the new rules set by the Union Customs Code, which facilitate more than €3 trillion worth of goods to flow in and out of the EU each year.
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Details
- Publication date
- 1 March 2024
- Author
- Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union