Bucharest up against eight other cities in race to host new European customs agency

Bucharest and eight other cities are competing to host a new European customs agency, which will control millions of cheap parcels, many of them coming from China, according to a Politico analysis.

The EU’s customs union was established in 1968, but it has been poorly maintained and only partially harmonized, with national agencies overlapping in their activities. The rise of packages from China has proven to be a challenge, but one that is common to all member states.

The new EU Customs Agency (EUCA), scheduled to be up and running in 2028, is a part of an ambitious overhaul of the bloc’s customs legislation to efficiently manage risky shipments. The agency will oversee a massive data center for the exchange of all information about incoming and outgoing shipments.

EU institutions are currently selecting a city to host EUCA and its 250 officials, but the voting procedure has not yet been laid out. Meanwhile, the European Parliament’s Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection will hear presentations from the nine candidate cities on Wednesday, January 28.

According to Politico, Bucharest stands out among the other candidate cities due to its new M6 subway line, which will connect both airports to the city by 2028. Moreover, “hosting EUCA in Bucharest would strengthen the cohesion of the Union, placing a key strategic authority in a region essential for the security of European trade flows,” according to the official application cited by the publication.

The EUCA headquarters would be next to a ruined factory and a Subaru dealer. “But at least it is immediately available,” Politico writer Koen Verhelst added.

However, the publication awards Bucharest 2 out of 5 stars, well below other candidates like Lille, Malaga, Zagreb, or The Hague, but on par with Rome and Porto. As such, Verhelst believes the Romanian capital has only “the long shot” in hosting the center.

All cities, however, have downsides when it comes to hosting the new center. The Hague is not a logistics hub, France does not have the backing to become the host country, and Rome was advanced by Italy because Milan had no suitable building. Zagreb is not a major entry point for goods or air transport into the EU, but the lack of an agency is probably Zagreb’s strongest argument. Likewise, Warsaw is not a major freight hub, and the building offered as headquarters for EUCA is not yet ready.

(Photo source: Dudlajzov | Dreamstime.com)