Entry Summary Declaration (ENS)
Safety-security declaration submitted before goods arrive in the EU customs territory, as part of ICS2.
The Entry Summary Declaration (ENS) is a regulatory obligation imposed by the Union Customs Code to strengthen supply chain security. It must be filed with the customs office of first entry into the EU before the physical arrival of goods.
Filing deadlines vary by transport mode: 24 hours before loading for containerised maritime, 4 hours before arrival for long-haul air freight, and shorter deadlines for road and rail. This data enables customs authorities to perform risk analysis and target shipments for inspection.
The ENS contains essential information: consignor, consignee, goods description, routing, container number, gross weight, and number of packages. Since the deployment of ICS2, this data must include the 6-digit HS code for each goods line, significantly enhancing risk analysis granularity.
Non-compliance with ENS obligations exposes the operator to administrative penalties and may result in refusal of entry of goods into the Union territory.