Why the European Union creates EUCA and what changes it
The establishment of an EU customs office is part of a broad improvement of the customs union aimed at adapting the strategy to the scale of modern online trade. According to data from the European Commission, billions of low-value shipments are sent to the Union per year, in the vast part generated by online sales outside the EU. The current model based on the distributed competences of the associate States is increasingly improving with the bulk handling of parcels and enforcement of taxation claims.
The EUCA is to carry out a coordinating and analytical function, advance digitalisation of checks and harmonise control standards. For online trade, this means greater predictability of procedures and a simplification in unfair price competition by entities circumventing duties and VAT. This is peculiarly crucial for European e-shops, which present frequently lose prices to non-EU offers.
Why Warsaw is indicated as the natural location of EUCA
The industry's argument is above all Poland's position on the external border of the European Union. It is through the Polish logistics corridors that a crucial part of e-commerce shipments to the EU countries from the east and Asian markets pass through. The operating scale makes the Polish customs services work with a mass volume of packages for years and develops digital tools for their operation.
Warsaw besides offers organization and technological facilities. The city is 1 of the regional logistics, IT and services centers for e-commerce, which fosters administrative cooperation with business. For the fresh office, this means access to competences, data and infrastructure, which are crucial for designing solutions for online trade at EU level.
The experience of Poland in conducting work at EU level is besides important. The efficient coordination of legislative processes in fresh years has strengthened the country's position as a partner capable of managing complex reforms involving many markets and stakeholders.
What this means in practice for e-shop owners
For e-commerce entrepreneurs, the location of EUCA in Warsaw could mean faster implementation of uniform customs clearance rules and better exchange of data between administrations. In the long term, this should reduce underselling of consignments and improve the effectiveness of VAT and customs collection.
From an operational perspective, changes in process digitization will be crucial. The improvement of the customs union assumes greater usage of product data and automation of declarations. Shops selling cross border should prepare for greater requirements regarding data quality, classification of goods and integration of sales systems with tools of public administration.
Read also: Trends and changes in e-commerce in 2026 with the eye of e-commerce practitioners
FAQ. Most common e-commerce questions about EUCA
- What is the EUCA customs office?
EUCA is the planned EU Customs Office to coordinate customs policy, support the improvement of the customs union and make common digital tools for associate States. - Is the EUCA office decided yet?
Nope. There is simply a political and consultative process at EU institution level. The Warsaw candidacy is supported by e-commerce and business environments. - Will EUCA affect costs in online commerce?
Indirectly, yes. More effective control and harmonisation of rules can reduce unfair price competition and improve predictability of import costs. - Do online shops request to prepare for strategy changes?
Yeah. Customs improvement implies further digitisation of processes. For e-commerce, this means greater importance of product data quality and technological integration.
