Businesses moving goods from the European Union to Great Britain need to comply with new UK safety and security declaration requirements that came into effect on January 31. Alex Pienaar, director of customs policy and strategy at HM Revenue & Customs, delves into what is required.
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SOME businesses are already prepared – around three million safety and security declarations for EU imports are made voluntarily each year – but many others need to get ready.
What is coming and why?
Since EU Exit, imports from the EU have continued without the need for a GB safety and security declaration but this waiver is coming to an end, with safety and security declaration requirements for EU imports now in place.
Safety and security declarations provide pre-arrival information for all goods entering GB and they are submitted to an IT system called Safety and Security Great Britain (S&S GB).
Mandatory collection of pre-arrival data for EU imports will enable more intelligent risking of goods so legitimate goods are less likely to be held up at the border. This means less disruption to your business while preventing illegal and dangerous goods hitting our streets.
The process has been designed with a data requirement reduced from that which is currently required for ‘Rest of the World’ import declarations so it is straightforward for businesses new to making import declarations – also known as an Entry Summary Declaration – and more streamlined for those already operating the declarations.
Data required on EU imports will be aligned to that from imports outside of the EU. Those who are already submitting safety and security declarations, including those voluntarily making declarations on imports from the EU, can continue using their systems without any change but have the option to use the reduced data set.
It is vital that declarations are completed accurately and submitted by the legal deadline (before goods arrive at the GB border) otherwise your business’ goods risk being held up for unnecessary checks or even a penalty. It is worth preparing now.
Who is affected by the new regulations?
All businesses that import from the EU to Britain need to be aware of the new regulations and how they might impact them. Hauliers and carriers are legally responsible for making the declaration, although third parties such as agents and intermediaries can also submit the declaration on behalf of the carrier with their consent.
By rail The rail freight operator is responsible for ensuring the declarations are submitted.
By air or sea The shipping company or the airline.
Roll on, roll off The haulage company for accompanied goods or the ferry operator for unaccompanied goods.
Businesses that have only ever imported goods from the EU are most affected by the changes and may be required to provide more information to their carriers than they currently do for the carrier to complete the declaration.
Businesses that import from ‘Rest of the World’ and those that already make voluntary declarations from EU will already be familiar with the process.
How are S&S declarations submitted?
Businesses will need to make Safety & Security declarations via the S&S GB IT platform. Businesses already set up to submit declarations from ‘Rest of the World’ do not have to make any changes to their systems and can continue to fill in the full dataset if they prefer.
How do I get started?
There are steps businesses can take to get ready to use the S&S GB service.
Talk to your supply chain Agree who is responsible for submitting S&S declarations, what information they need to complete the declaration and how to make sure it will be made available.
Make sure you have the right software The S&S GB service does not have a user interface so specialist software is needed to lodge declarations. There are a number of ways to do this:
- Develop software in-house by using the HMRC developer hub.
- Purchase compatible software. Visit gov.uk to check the list of software developers.
- Employ the service of a Community System provider.
Register and enrol for S&S GB To register, a business will need a Government Gateway Account and password. It will also need information, a full list of which in order to register can be found at gov.uk
Test your software Once a business has the software, we recommend it is tested to ensure it is set up correctly. If you already use software to make import declarations, check it is compatible with the reduced data set requirement.
Making declarations
Before you start making a declaration, make sure you have the details you need about your goods to meet the mandatory data requirement to avoid any delay. If any information changes, your declaration can be amended at any time up until the time the goods reach the GB border.
Once the declaration has been accepted, you will be issued with a Movement Reference Number which can also be included if your goods are to be sent to ports using the Goods Vehicle Movement Service. The declaration will be risk assessed by Border Force and, if no further intervention is needed, goods can continue on their journey.
For more information, visit gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-new-safety-and-security-declaration-requirements
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