Lille clinches bid to host EU Customs Authority

Lille's train station, France, January 2023.

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Copyright 
AP Photo/Michel Spingler
Copyright AP Photo/Michel Spingler
Published on
25/03/2026 - 15:39 GMT+1
EU lawmakers voted on Wednesday to designate the French city of Lille as the headquarters of the upcoming European Customs Authority, beating Italy’s bid to host it in Rome.

Lille will host the European Custom Authority, a new decentralised agency tasked with supporting and coordinating national customs administrations across the bloc.

The decision was made on Wednesday in Brussels, after EU lawmakers from the European Parliament and the Council of the EU voted on the matter in three rounds.

"France is one of Europe's leading customs nations, [considering] one in three parcels entering the EU passes through French territory," Dutch MEP Dirk Gotink, rapporteur on the customs reform, said in a press statement.

"Lille's strategic location at the crossroads of Europe makes it the natural hub for this authority," the EU lawmaker continued.

Italy, with Rome as its candidate, was the runner-up in the voting rounds
Other contenders included Belgium with Liège, Croatia with Zagreb, the Netherlands with The Hague, Poland with Warsaw, Portugal with Porto, Romania with Bucharest, and Spain with Málaga.

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Customs management and trade have taken on renewed urgency after former US President Donald Trump imposed sweeping tariffs shortly after taking office.

Amid growing global trade uncertainty, the EU has stepped up engagement with international partners
This week, it signed a new agreement with Australia, while the EU–Mercosur deal is set to apply provisionally from 1 April.

The establishment of the new authority is part of the overall reform of the EU customs framework, with key negotiations expected to take place on Thursday
The reform also aims to tackle the rising pressure from increased trade flows, fragmented national systems and the rapid rise of e-commerce.

The agency is expected to be set up in 2026 and could become operational in 2028 according to a draft schedule which is still be subject to significant changes.

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