The Future of the Union Customs Code

The Union Customs Code was formally introduced in the EU in 2016. In the last five years, many elements of the UCC have been specified, clarified and implemented. We can now look back at the impact the introduction of UCC has had on the competitiveness of the European common market, the position of companies, and also the effectiveness of Customs in the various Member States. Albert Veenstra and Leon Kanters will discuss the origin of UCC, the change and renewal UCC has brought companies in the EU and the impact on the Customs agencies in European Member States. The speakers will also look ahead at relatively new challenges for the international movement of goods, such as e-commerce, and if UCC is offering the tools to effectively deal with these challenges.

About the speakers

Prof. Albert Veenstra

Albert Veenstra is the scientific director of the Dutch Institute for Advanced Logistics, developing the innovation agenda for the Dutch logistics industry. He is professor in international trade facilitation and logistics at Eindhoven University of Technology. He was senior business consultant at TNO, and has experience in international freight logistics, supply chain compliance, and multimodal freight transport and synchromodality.

Leon Kanters

Leon has been professionally active in the field of 'trade & customs' for over 30 years. His client base is very diverse and ranges from directors-major shareholders (DGAs) to multinationals active in various sectors, including chemicals, automotive, fashion, pharmaceuticals, food & beverages, and electronics. He has extensive experience in the field of excise duties, BPM, trade compliance and export control.