Committee on Import Licensing - Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures - Notification under article 5.1 to 5.4 - European Union

AGREEMENT ON IMPORT LICENSING PROCEDURES

NOTIFICATION UNDER ARTICLE 5.1 TO 5.4 OF THE AGREEMENT[1]

European Union

The following communication, dated 22 December 2025, is being circulated at the request of the delegation of the European Union.

 

 

Category

Notification details

1

Notifying Member

European Union

2

Title of new legislation/procedure

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1271 of 6 May 2025 amending Implementing Regulations (EU) 2016/1239, (EU) 2020/761, (EU) 2020/1988 and (EU) 2023/2834 as a consequence of the establishment of the electronic system for Agricultural Non‑customs formalities (ELAN), and amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1988 as regards two new tariff quota numbers for imports of rice from Bangladesh

3

Date of Publication

10 July 2025

4

Date of entry into force

11 July 2025

5

Website link/Official publication of the new regulation/procedure

http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2025/1271/oj

6

Have you attached a copy of the regulation (PDF) to the Secretariat

[ ] Yes. (Please attach a copy of the regulation to the notification.)

 

[X] No.

7

Type of notification

[ ] (a) New licensing regulation/procedure[2]; (please answer question 8 to 14)

 

[X] (b) Changes to a regulation/procedure which has been previously notified in document: _G/LIC/N/2/EU/9 (Regulation 2016/1239), _G/LIC/N/2/EU/13 (Regulation 2020/761 (please answer question 15 and 16)

8

List of products subject to licensing

 

9

Nature of licensing

Automatic: [ ]

 

Non-Automatic: [ ]

10

Administrative purpose/measure being implemented

(a)

Protect public morals;

(b)

Protect human, animal or plant life and health; protect environment;

(c)

Collect trade statistics or market surveillance;

(d)

Protection of patents, trademarks and copyrights, and the prevention of deceptive practices;

(e)

Pursue obligations under the UN Charter and other international treaties (i.e. CITES, Basel Convention, Rotterdam Convention, UNSC Resolutions etc.)

(f)

Quota (including TRQ) administration;

(g)

Regulate imports of arms, ammunition or fissionable materials and safeguard national security;

(h)

Other: ______ (please specify)

11

Administrative body(ies) for

submission of applications

 

 

12

Contact point for information on eligibility

 

13

Expected duration of licensing procedure

 

14

A summary of the notification in one of the WTO official languages

 

15

In the case of 7(b), please indicate the type of new change(s)

(a)

Termination

(b)

Suspension

(c)

Modification of specific details in existing

procedures:

Product coverage;

Administrative purpose;

Automatic or Non-automatic;

Duration of licensing;

Change the nature of quantity/value restriction;

Eligibility of applicants;

Contact information on eligibility;

Administrative body(ies) for submission of application;

Documentation requirements (including application form);

Period for Application;

Administrative body(ies) to issue licence;

Processing time for issuing licence;

Licence fee/administrative charge;

Deposit/advance payment and relevant conditions;

Appeal regulations/procedures;

Validity of licence;

Other conditions of licence (extension, transferability, penalty of non-use etc.);

Foreign exchange requirements;

Other: ________ (please specify)

16

Please elaborate the changes in detail (in one of the WTO official languages)

Regulation (EU) 2022/2399 of the European Parliament and of the Council establishes a European Union Single Window Environment for Customs ('EU Single Window Environment for Customs'), which includes an electronic European Union Customs Single Window Certificates Exchange System, a national single window environments for customs, and various Union non-customs systems the use of which is either mandatory or voluntary under Union law.

 

In order to optimise trade of agricultural products, all documents required in agricultural legislation for fulfilling non-customs formalities should be made available to the customs authorities of Member States in electronic form via the EU Single Window Environment for Customs.

 

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/1269 (3) and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1272 establishes an electronic system for agricultural non-customs formalities ('ELAN') to make the documents falling under its scope available in electronic form to customs authorities.

 

 

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1239 lays down rules for the issue of import and export licences for trade of agricultural products, Commission Implementing Regulations (EU) 2020/761 and (EU) 2023/2834 lay down rules for tariff rate quotas managed with licences and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1988 lays down rules for tariff rate quotas managed in accordance with the 'first come first served' principle.

 

Those Implementing Regulations are amended by this Regulation to allow that the documents under their scope can be made available to the customs authorities of Member States in electronic form via the EU Single Window Environment for Customs.

 

The Regulation should enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union, to ensure the correct application of the rules before ELAN will become available to its users for testing purposes.

 

EU Member States and third-country authorities are allowed enough time to adapt their systems and their procedures to the use of ELAN to perform their operations. Therefore, transitional rules are laid down in Implementing Regulations (EU) 2016/1239, (EU) 2020/761, (EU) 2020/1988 and (EU) 2023/2834 in order to ensure a smooth transition for all ELAN users.

 

From 15 July 2025, all ELAN users are allowed to test ELAN and enter the system in its 'acceptance environment'. Documents transmitted or created in this environment are mere tests and not have any legal value, nor be used for operations of customs clearance. During the testing period ELAN users, have access to ELAN in acceptance environment to test the system.

 

 

 

After the test period, ELAN shall be put in production, and from 19 January 2026 licence issuing authorities of EU Member States should then be allowed to create licences in ELAN or to transmit them to that system. These licences should have legal value and could be used for operations of customs clearance.

 

From 18 January 2027 licence issuing authorities of Member States should start issuing licences complying with the new data models created for ELAN. Licences that would need to be used in paper form shall be sealed by ELAN before being printed.

 

From 17 January 2028 all licences issued in Member States should be produced in ELAN or transmitted to that system. Accompanying documents required by the relevant agricultural legislation and issued by third countries should also be produced in ELAN or made available to that system. To this extent, they should follow the ELAN data model in compliance with Annex XIV.8 to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/761.

 

From 6 October 2028 all users should start using ELAN for their operations, including customs clearance through the interconnection with the European Union Customs Single Window Certificates Exchange System ('EU CSW-CERTEX').

 

The Regulation entered into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union, to ensure the correct application of the rules before ELAN will become available to its users for testing purposes.

 

__________



[1] It is understood that the notifying Member has also completed its notification obligations under Article 1.4(a) and Article 8.2(b) regarding the relevant law/regulation/procedure notified for by filling this form in a full and complete manner.

[2] "New licensing regulation/procedure" is understood to refer to any newly introduced law, regulation or procedure, and those which are in force but being notified for the first time to the Committee.