What is ICS2?
ICS2 (Import Control System 2) is the new IT advance cargo information system of the EU customs authorities, which is used to collect and evaluate certain data on the transported goods for security reasons or to avert danger before the goods arrive in the EU.
What are the advantages of ICS2?
- More protection for EU citizens and the single market against security and safety threats
- A "single endpoint" for all ENS filings in the EU
- Better identification of high-risk shipments and the ability to intervene at an appropriate point in the supply chain
- Support of targeted customs measures at the external borders in crisis situations
- Simplification of the exchange of information between economic operators and EU customs authorities
- Facilitation of cross-border customs clearance for the legitimate trade
Who is affected and what are the most important requirements?
Affected economic operators (e.g. carriers, transport companies, freight forwarders, etc.) are now obliged to file the relevant data in the form of an Entry Summary Declaration (ENS) in ICS2. Depending on the transport route (air, sea, road, rail), certain time limits apply to the submission of an ENS.
Mandatory details of a complete ENS are (per item):
- Complete description of goods
- 6-digit HS commodity code
- Information about the operators
- EORI number
- Shipping information
Detailed information can be found on the official website of the European Commission. There you will find e-learning courses and various fact sheets, e.g.:
- Fact sheet by the European Commission on road transport
- Fact sheet by the European Commission on rail transport
- Fact sheet by the European Commission on sea and inland waterway transport
What deadlines apply and how can I prepare?
The new system was introduced in various phases, each of which was aimed at implementing the new requirements across the various modes of transport (air freight, sea, road, and rail transport).
The implementation of the final phase 3 (ICS2 requirements for sea, road, and rail) has been postponed in some EU member states until May 31, 2026. Therefore, the go-live of ICS2 is planned to be completed on June 1, 2026. You can find more details in our (German) Community article.
As of this date, ENS declarations in the ICS2 system will be mandatory for all economic operators concerned. If you are affected, you will find information on the implementation and any possibly required technical preparations here:
- Fact sheet by the European Commission on the implementation of ICS2
- Fact sheet by the European Commission on the technical preparation
Multiple vs. single ENS filings
In the case of multiple ENS filings, several economic operators in the supply chain can make several partial filings of ENS data at different times and in any order, provided this has been arranged in advance. Overall, all partial filings must meet the requirements of a complete ENS declaration.
In the case of a single ENS filing, however, the required ENS data is submitted collectively by an economic operator, e.g. the freight forwarder.
Using Customs Management from AEB to process ENS declarations
With Customs Management, you are ideally prepared for the new ICS2 system, because the application allows you to:
- create and send ENS declarations (entry summary declarations) manually via the software interface or automatically (if configured) for numerous ICS2 filing types
- receive relevant customs messages and be notified of certain events
- request further status information
Coupling of ICS2 to NCTS6 – Outlook (opt-in countries)
In future, national customs administrations can decide to connect their NCTS systems to ICS2 (so-called opt-in countries) and thus offer the option of filing a combined transit declaration with ENS data in the transit procedure (NCTS) phase 6 instead of in the ICS2 system.