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Traffic Manual

Brussels, April 19, 2021 TAXUD/A1/TRA/005/2020-1-ES

European Commission logo. Directorate General of Taxation and Customs Union

"This document does not include the modifications to the RDCAU and RECAU that have taken place since April 2021. Nor will the incorporation of new countries into the Common Transit Convention, from the same date."

Preface

In the plan for transit in Europe (1) A manual was called for, including a detailed description of the common and Union transit regimes and clearly defining the respective roles of the Administrations and operators. The purpose of this manual is to explain how these transit regimes operate and the functions of the various bodies involved in them. The goal is to ensure that traffic regulations are applied consistently and that all operators are treated equally.

This text is a consolidated version of the manual, incorporating various updates since its first publication in May 2004 and in accordance with the Union Customs Code applicable since 1 May 2016. It will be updated as necessary due to changes in the common transit and EU systems.

The manual provides a uniform interpretation of how all customs authorities implementing common and EU transit should implement transit regulations through an administrative agreement.

However, it is not a legally binding act, so for a mandatory interpretation, the legal provisions on transit that prevail over this manual, as well as any other customs legislation, should always be consulted. The authentic texts of EU conventions and legal instruments are those published in the Official Journal of the European Union. As regards judgments of the General Court and the Court of Justice, the authentic texts are those published in the Reports of the Cases of the Court of Justice of the European Union.

In addition to this manual, there may also be national instructions or explanatory notes that may be incorporated into the relevant section of each chapter in the respective national edition or published separately. For further details, please contact your country's customs office.

Brussels, April 19, 2021

(1) COM(97) 188 final of 30.4.1997. (Back)

  1. Abbreviations, definitions, and sources of general information
  2. Part I. General introduction
  3. Part II. statute of goods
  4. Part III. Guarantee
  5. Part IV. Ordinary transit system through the NCTS (new computerized transit system)
  6. Part V. Business continuity procedure for common transit-Union
  7. Part VI. Simplifications
  8. Part VII. Completion of the transit regime and investigation procedure
  9. Part VIII. debt and debt collection
  10. Part IX. the TIR regime (applicable within the Union)