EU Selects Lille to Host New Customs Authority

EU Council Sanctions Press Releases

Published March 25th, 2026

Detected March 26th, 2026

Summary

The Council of the EU and the European Parliament have selected Lille, France, as the host city for the new European Union customs authority (EUCA). This authority, expected to have 250 staff, will coordinate national customs activities to reform the EU's customs framework in response to increased trade flows and e-commerce.

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What changed

The Council of the EU and the European Parliament have announced that Lille, France, will be the host city for the new European Union customs authority (EUCA). This authority, which will comprise approximately 250 staff members, is a key component of the broader EU customs framework reform aimed at addressing challenges posed by increased trade volumes, fragmented national systems, the rise of e-commerce, and evolving geopolitical landscapes. The selection of Lille was finalized in an inter-institutional meeting, and its seat will be formally incorporated into the ongoing customs reform regulation.

While this announcement concerns the location of the EUCA, the operational start date and specific implementation details are still under negotiation between the Council and the Parliament. Regulated entities, particularly importers and exporters, should note this development as part of the ongoing EU customs modernization efforts. Further details regarding the authority's mandate and operational commencement will be communicated as the overall customs reform regulation progresses through its final stages.

Source document (simplified)

Council of the EU
Press release
25 March 2026 14:08

Lille to host the new EU Customs Authority

Today, the Council and the European Parliament selected Lille as the host city for the future European Union customs authority (EUCA).

The authority will be tasked with coordinating and supporting the activities of national customs authorities consistently across the Union. It is expected to have around 250 staff members.

The establishment of the new authority forms part of the work to reform the EU’s overall customs framework so that it can deal with the significant pressure arising from increased trade flows, fragmented national systems, the rapid rise of e-commerce and shifting geopolitical realities.

The co-legislators agreed on the location of EUCA’s seat in an informal inter-institutional meeting at political level.

Next steps

The location of the seat will now be included in the overall customs reform regulation on which political discussions between the Council and the Parliament are in their final stages. The date on which the authority will start operations will also need to be agreed as part of those negotiations.

Selection process

In October 2025, the European Commission launched a call for applications for member states to express their interest in hosting EUCA.

Nine member states submitted applications by the deadline: Belgium (Liège), Croatia (Zagreb), France (Lille), Italy (Rome), Netherlands (The Hague), Poland (Warsaw), Portugal (Porto), Romania (Bucharest), and Spain (Málaga).

Following the Commission’s assessment of these applications, the co-legislators agreed in February 2026 on a common understanding establishing a decision-making process to select the member state that would host the EUCA, respecting the autonomy of each institution.