Author: Demian

On 14–15 July 2026, the EUCAB Customs Mobile Group Collaboration Unit (CMGU) successfully conducted the 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝗛𝗮𝘂𝗽𝘁𝘇𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗺𝘁 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗳𝘂𝗿𝘁 (𝗢𝗱𝗲𝗿) of the German Customs Administration (Bundeszollverwaltung). A new methodology for continuous development of customs capabilities across EU The CMGU Diagnostic methodology has been developed to assess and strengthen the operational capability of Mobile Customs Units. Its purpose is not to audit or inspect, but to identify strengths, share good practices, and support the continuous development of customs operational capabilities across the European Union. By promoting a common understanding of effective customs controls while respecting national operational…

🇫🇷 A few months before the new EU Customs Authority (EUCA) begins operations in Lille, on July 7, 2026, the city hosted the EUCAB ad hoc Steering Committee, which was chaired by the Irish EU Presidency.🎯 The Steering Committee expressed its desire to continue EUCAB’s work on strengthening operational cooperation for another year. The focus will be on the operational units and the priority areas of diagnostic visits, as well as training, innovation, procurement and equipment, and risk management. In addition, e-commerce is to remain a key focus area for the Air and Post Unit.🇪🇺 With this decision, the Steering…

From June 15 to 18, 2026, a specialized customs workshop – organized under the Common Learning Event Programme (CLEP) – took place at the military airfield in Bochoř 🇨🇿, focused on pursuing vehicles and stopping them by force. 🇪🇺 𝑨 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈-𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑬𝑼𝑪𝑨𝑩 While the four-day intensive training session marks the culmination of years of preparation initiated by the surveillance services of Czech customs, EUCAB also played a key role in the successful completion of this project. Indeed, the “training questionnaire” – mapping the needs of customs administrations across Europe – highlighted a shared need for…

As the fourth stop in a series of diagnostic port reviews, EUCAB’s Maritime Unit recently visited French Customs within the port of Marseille 🇫🇷. This visit follows diagnostic port reviews in Malmö, Burgas, and Dublin. With Marseille being one of the biggest ports in the Mediterranean, lots of topics were on the agenda:🔎 Risk Management and how to target potentially contaminated containers and bulk-cargo;🚢 Operational control procedures in a port with very diverse vessel movements, from the biggest container carriers, to ferries and small pleasure yachts;🤝 The need of further strengthened Public–Private cooperation to fight organised crime, as 1 +…

In June, the 𝗛𝗥, 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 & 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 under the EUCAB Support Unit launched the practical work of its first two dedicated subnetworks — creating a platform for customs experts from across Member States to exchange experiences, discuss common challenges, and strengthen integrity and resilience in everyday customs work. 🔎 On 3 June 2026, the 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗥-𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 focused on how recruitment, training, staff well-being, organisational culture, and HR processes can support integrity and resilience within customs administrations.🤝 On 9 June 2026, the 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗻𝘁𝗶-𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 exchanged views on corruption-related risks, reporting mechanisms, whistleblowing systems, internal…

On June 2-3, 2026, Czech customs in Prague hosted the Customs Mobile Groups Network meeting. 25 experts from 18 European Member States shared their experience with mobile surveillance operations, and explored new opportunities for joint action in protecting the European Union’s external and internal borders. The Prague meeting followed the inaugural meeting of the network, which took place in Athens in the fall of 2025, acknowledging the growing importance of the EUCAB platform for the day-to-day operational cooperation of European customs administrations. Focus on practical knowledge and experiences Individual countries presented specific case studies on the activities of mobile units,…

From 25 May to 29 May 2026, a first EUCAB mission in the field of mobility and exchange of customs officers took place in Latvia, at the Terehova Customs Control Point.The Latvian Customs were the first to implement the new EUCAB initiative, hosting customs officers from five EU Member States: Estonia, Luxembourg, Croatia, Sweden, and Slovakia. Participants had the opportunity to work side by side, promoting a unified approach and demonstrating that innovation in customs work involves not only technology, but also the improvement of processes, strengthening cooperation, and joint risk management. They emphasized the importance of reinforcing of coordinated…

Bringing customs authorities and industry together… EUCAB is launching a new initiative “Private Sector – Innovation Day” 📳 This event is a dedicated space where 𝗘𝗨 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀, with a strong focus on 𝗡𝗼𝗻-𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗡𝗜𝗜) 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, specifically high-energy X-ray scanning technologies.🔍 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿?Relying on innovation, automation, and continuous appropriation of technological development, the future of customs controls cannot be built in isolation. It requires:🚩 real operational insight from customs,🚩 cutting-edge innovation from industry,🚩 and a shared vision of what comes next.Through this initiative, EUCAB…

On 28–29 April 2026, EUCAB experts from Belgium, Germany, Estonia and Ireland conducted a diagnostic mission at the Václav Havel Airport in Prague. Neither an inspection nor an audit, the primary objective of the diagnostic mission was to observe customs control activities in real-time operational conditions, identify strengths and weaknesses, and provide recommendations for addressing identified shortcomings based on best practices applied across other EU Member States. The mission’s main focus Operational priorities of the border surveillance department of Prague Customs Approximately three quarters of the agenda took place in the operational environment, particularly within the airport premises and terminal…

From April 8 to 9, 2026, EUCAB experts were hosted by the Italian Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) in Milan for a meeting on strengthening customs cooperation to tackle e commerce related threats. Between the Lombardy Regional Directorate and Milan Malpensa Airport, experts exchanged on regulatory developments and operational approaches to deal with this unique challenge for customs authorities in terms of volumes, complexity, and fiscal and non-fiscal risks. ADM shared good practices on e-commerce risk analysis, with a focus on targeting models and innovative control technologies such as tomographic scanners. The programme also included a presentation of procedural simplifications…