At the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Warsaw’s candidacy as the seat of the EU Customs Authority was presented

The candidacy of Warsaw as the seat of the European Union Customs Authority (EUCA) was presented on Wednesday at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. “We have very strong arguments: expertise, a strong tax administration and a good proposal at the technical level,” Deputy Foreign Minister Ignacy Niemczycki told PAP.

Poland submitted an application to the European Commission to establish the seat of EUCA in Warsaw at the end of November. However, it was not the only one to do so. In addition to Poland, the following are also competing: Belgium (Liège), Spain (Malaga), France (Lille), Croatia (Zagreb), Italy (Rome), the Netherlands (The Hague), Portugal (Porto) and Romania (Bucharest).

EUCA is to support the customs authorities of the Member States in simplifying customs procedures for businesses and in ensuring the effective collection of duties and taxes for the budget of the European Union and national budgets. It is also to help strengthen the protection of the EU market against dangerous or illegal products.

“Frontex, an agency dealing with border issues, is already operating in Warsaw. We believe there is a natural synergy between these two agencies. We are trying to convince MEPs to support Warsaw and decide to locate this EU agency there,” Niemczycki told the Polish Press Agency. He added that in the first quarter of this year the competition should be concluded once the European Parliament and the Member States within the Council of the European Union reach an agreement on this matter.

The Deputy Permanent Representative of Poland to the European Union, Arkadiusz Pluciński, recalled in an interview with the Polish Press Agency that during its presidency of the Council of the European Union, Poland managed to reach a compromise on the reform of the EU Customs Code.

“The only missing element is the choice of the seat for the authorities of the European Union Customs Authority. Importantly, Central and Eastern Europe is still underrepresented when it comes to the presence of European agencies. Poland, as the largest country in the region, should be treated as a priority,” he said.

The event was also attended by the plenipotentiary of the Minister of Finance and Economy for the establishment of the seat of EUCA in Warsaw, Małgorzata Krok. As she told the Polish Press Agency, the new authority will strive to ensure that the borders of the European Union are more secure, but in terms of goods.

“Warsaw seems to be the best place for this. We already have Frontex, which deals with the movement of people. If we have the seat of an authority that will deal with the movement of goods, we will be able to create a coherent hub dealing with border security. Without this security, there is no competitiveness in the single market, no security for Polish citizens, and no level playing field for our businesses,” she added.

Accelerating work on the reform of the EU Customs Code, on the basis of which the new authority is to be established, was one of the priorities of the Polish presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of last year. (21.01.26)