On March 19th, 2026, FEPORT attended the 73rd meeting of the Trade Contact Group, the consultative body composed of representatives from the business community and civil society stakeholders which advice the European Commission (DG TAXUD) on the implementation of customs policy.
Discussions centred around the topic of e-commerce as studies confirm existing concerns about the compliance of low value consignments imported to the EU via e-commerce platform, for example, when it comes to health, environment and safety standards.
CBAM was also intensively discussed in a context where the Commission is working around the clock to unite its targets related to climate change mitigation with the need to have legislation that can be implemented in practice by all stakeholders involved in different parts of the supply chain.
Representatives from DG MOVE attended the meeting to present the Maritime Industrial and EU Ports Strategies adopted earlier in March, specifically focussing on Commission initiatives aimed at simplifying B2A reporting done by shipping through the European Maritime Single Window environment (EMSWe).
FEPORT supports the Commission’s wider simplification on this topic of reporting formalities and in particular when it comes to permitting as complex administrative requirements should not impede or slow down projects supporting EU objectives regarding, for example, military mobility or the energy transition. At the same time, it should be recognised that some of the reporting obligations applying to shipping are necessary to ensure safe operations at sea and in the port, which also affect the safety of port workers.
