Commission welcomes selection of Lille as seat for EU Customs Authority

The Commission welcomes today’s agreement between the European Parliament and the Council, selecting Lille as the seat of the EU Customs Authority (‘EUCA’).

The Commission received nine applications from Member States looking to host EUCA. It then prepared a neutral and factual assessment of these applications, and sent it to the co-legislators on 20 January 2026, to aid in the selection process. Today’s decision represents one of the last steps required before concluding the negotiations on the ambitious EU Customs Reform.

The reform will strengthen EU customs authorities, helping them to protect the EU’s external border for goods from challenges arising from rapid increases in e-commerce flows and shifting geopolitical realities. Modernising the EU customs framework will benefit our economy, our security, and our consumers, by creating a simpler, better and more efficient digitalised system for EU international trade.

Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security; Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency, Maroš Šefčovič, said: “Today’s political agreement on the EUCA seat brings us significantly closer to concluding the negotiations on the ambitious Customs Reform package. I very much welcome that the co-legislators have reached an agreement, to put in motion a future key player for our Customs Union to act as one. The Commission will now accelerate the preparatory work for the establishment of the EUCA, in close cooperation with Member States. This is a good day for the European customs cooperation.”

More information is available online in the press release.

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