Negotiations on the reform of the EU Customs Code (UCC) are at a crucial stage. With the aim of modernising the Code to meet the challenges posed in particular by e-commerce, this reform is based on three main pillars: the establishment of a European customs authority (EUCA), the creation of an "EU customs data hub" to be managed by the EUCA, and better collaboration with trusted economic operators.
It is this context that ULiège brought together 19 institutions from 11 Member States active in training and research in customs law and sent to the European institutions proposed amendments to the draft text of the reform, to strengthen the budgetary capacities of the future EUCA.
UCC Reform. Granting the EUCA powers to use financial resources to achieve its missions- Amendment to Articles 208 and 222 of the reformed UCC
At the core of the reform of the European Customs Union is the creation of EUCA, which will play a central role in data management, risk analysis and coordination of controls at the EU's external borders. The signatories fully support this reform, but consider that, in its current form, the text does not give the EUCA sufficient capacity to use financial resources to effectively fulfil its tasks.
Specifically, the letter asks the following amendments:
This budgetary flexibility is essential to enable the EUCA to have recourse rapidly and flexibly to the centres of expertise in customs law and practice in Europe, to support research, specialised training and the deployment of control equipment adapted to the current challenges of international trade.
The letter is signed by 19 universities and institutions recognised for their expertise in customs law and practice, which train thousands of customs officers and foreign trade professionals across the EU every year.
Alongside the University of Liège (with its Customs & Trade Law Academy), the signatories are:
Prof. Marc Bourgeois, Dean of the Faculty of Law, Political Science and Criminology at ULiège: " It is the customs law experts from the University of Liège who took the initiative to draft this letter and to bring together our European partners. We see every day, in our research and in our interactions with authorities and practitioners, that the EU Customs Authority will need this financial flexibility to quickly rely on academic expertise. Aligning its spending powers with those of Europol, which has been carrying out similar tasks in the field of police cooperation for more than 25 years, is a concrete improvement for making this reform a success. »
Yves Melin, lecturer at ULiège and co-founder of Customspliance, explains: "Trade flows are becoming more and more complex and the phenomena of fraud or circumvention of the rules are changing very quickly. To promote legal international trade and fight fraud, a climate must be created that stimulates partnerships between customs authorities and trusted economic operators, i.e. those who fully respect the rules of the game. This climate of collaboration will be decisive for the success of the reform of the UCC. The EUCA will need to work closely with the existing centres of excellence in customs law within the EU, in order to understand how customs matters are applied in practice in the different Member States, to share good practices, and to share these good practices through quality training. »
Vanessa Franssen, Professor of Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure and co-promoter of the recently created ULiège-UAntwerpen Chair on Customs Sanctions Law and Policy in Belgium and Luxembourg, confirms: "If the EUCA is to play a central role in risk analysis and support to national authorities, it must be able to finance projects without delay, studies and training that strengthen the capacity of customs to act. What we are proposing is a legal framework that is consistent with the proclaimed ambition of the reform. »
This initiative illustrates ULiège's role as a leading academic player in customs law at the European level and its desire to contribute, in a concrete way, to an ambitious and pragmatic reform of the Customs Union.
Aware of its responsibility to transmit knowledge and produce high-quality research for the benefit of society, ULiège thus reaffirms the key ethical principles to which it adheres.
On January 15 and 16, 2026, ULiège hosted the "2026 EUA-CDE Thematic Workshop – Doctoral education for the future of European R&I," a meeting organized by the Council for Doctoral Education of the European University Association.
On January 15, 2026, Belgium officially submitted Liège's bid to host the headquarters of the future European Union Customs Authority (EUCA).
