Access to customs trade information Open CSO letter

Our organisations welcome the Commission’s plan to revise the Union Customs legislation and are looking forward to this legislative proposal. With this joint open letter, the undersigned organisations want to urge you to ensure that this upcoming reform will enable non-state actors, such as Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), trade unions, academics, journalists and companies to access trade information with customs that is currently considered confidential by Member States. Existing EU legislation, such as the Timber regulation and the Conflict minerals regulation, and upcoming legislation, such as the Deforestation-free products regulation, Batteries and batteries waste regulation, Forced labour regulation and Corporate sustainability due diligence directive, aim to ensure that human rights and the environment are respected in company value chains. Stakeholder involvement plays an important role in the functioning of all these legal instruments.