Changes in the European Union's import procedures will take effect on April 1, 2025.

Specifically, starting April 1, 2025, the EU’s customs pre-arrival security and safety system, Import Control System 2 (ICS2), will require rail and road carriers to provide data on goods sent to or transiting through the EU before their arrival. This information must be submitted through an Entry Summary Declaration (ENS).

Economic operators who are not prepared by this deadline must contact the National Service Desk of the EU member state where they are registered and have obtained their EORI number. They can request a Deployment Window by March 1, 2025, but only through a formal application.

A full information package is available for download on the official website.

The European Commission holds monthly webinars (in English) where businesses can address operational and technical questions regarding ICS2. The next webinar is scheduled for March 5, with further details available online.

Additionally, the Commission may organize country- or region-specific ICS2 webinars upon request.

ICS2 requirements also apply to postal and express carriers, as well as logistics providers. In some cases, final consignees established in the EU may also need to submit ENS data. Similar security requirements are already in place for air, sea, and inland waterway cargo transport.