The PaperLess Journey from PLDA to IDMS/AES

AIS = Automated Import System – doesn’t exist in Belgium 

AES = Automated Export System = EDMS 

IDMS or EDMS = Import (I) or Export (E) Declaration Management System

The same representation types are carried forward to the new system, so there is no change in liability. 

Belgian customs have not published a PDF layout as the new system is paperless. 

Our software, CAS, supports customs declarations in Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK and Ireland.

We are working towards the current deadlines: 

1. Deadline IDMS: 31 December 2023 

2. Deadline EDMS: 30 September 2023 – with the remark that customs applied to postpone this deadline  

More information: https://financien.belgium.be/nl/douane_accijnzen/ondernemingen/douane/aangiften-kennisgeving-douanestatus/datums  

Belgium customs authorities have not engaged any software supply regarding the proposed greater EU customs integration. 

Since CAS already used the WCO/EUCDM data model, the impact on our current customers will be limited. An example is the additions and deductions that already exist in CAS for a while. 

Our approach to country migrations reduces the impact on the existing CAS flow and processes to a minimum. Customers are guided through a migration plan by our project managers to make everything run seamlessly. 

A lot has been published by the Belgian customs authorities, all new data sets are documented for IDMS and AES.  

Information can be retrieved on the Belgian customs authorities website: 

AES/EDMS: https://financien.belgium.be/nl/douane_accijnzen/ondernemingen/applicaties-da/aes/aes-export  

IDMS: https://financien.belgium.be/nl/douane_accijnzen/ondernemingen/applicaties-da/technische-documentatie-0/idms/all 

The details of Customs Clearance are not know yet, since Customs Clearance will be part of a later phase. 

E-globalisation is still mandatory. For the moment, that will stay in place in PLDA, and it will be part of a later phase of the migration.  

Every country in the EU is either already using it or is in the process of migrating. This is part of the MASP plan, an EU-wide plan for digitising customs. Even the UK, which is no longer part of the Union uses the EU Customs Data Model. 

It depends which party of the declaration is concerned. It’s possible that there is no identification number, or that the VAT number needs to be used, but it’s also possible that the EORI number doesn’t need to be provided. For example for an export declaration, the importer doesn’t have to have an EORI number, but the declarant/exporter itself needs to have an EORI number mentioned. 

Yes, it should also be replaced, similar to the B2B applications. There will probably be a new URL, but no information is available as of yet. 

There rumours are that the EDMS deadline will be delayed, but until we hear otherwise from the Belgian customs authorities, we should work towards the deadlines that are currently known: 

1. Deadline EDMS: 30 September 2023 

2. Deadline IDMS: 31 December 2023 

It's the location where the goods can be inspected by the customs authorities. 

Information on the go-live dates of all EU systems part of MASP can be found here: https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/customs-4/union-customs-code/ucc-work-programme_en  

Information can be retrieved on the Belgian customs authorities website: 

AES/EDMS: https://financien.belgium.be/nl/douane_accijnzen/ondernemingen/applicaties-da/aes/aes-export  

IDMS: https://financien.belgium.be/nl/douane_accijnzen/ondernemingen/applicaties-da/technische-documentatie-0/idms/all  

There will be an additional message that will be sent by AES/EDMS after 30 days if there is no exit confirmation by then. Based on that message you can provide an answer and provide additional proof to prove that the goods actually left the EU. 

The carrier is responsible for the Exit Summary Declaration. If the declaration is combined, the carrier is still responsible that the declarant includes that information in the declaration. 

Belgian customs authorities did not foresee something as it doesn’t have a use for them anymore, but software providers can provide you with a print that can be used. This is also different per country, e.g. in the UK the software providers came up with a new standard for a printable document.

It’s a hard cut on the mentioned deadlines. First EDMS will go live and afterwards IDMS, where PLDA will be replaced. 

We are working hard towards the deadlines, with the limitations we have. These limitations are that the test system has only been available for 2 weeks and is only supporting very limited scenarios. 

Both test systems, for import and export, are live now but currently only support very limited scenarios. Belgian customs mentioned they will release new possibilities for testing every two weeks. 

It’s about qualifier X where the EORI number is the goods location. As far as we currently know, this will not be supported by Belgian customs authorities.

There will be an electronic emergency procedure, but specific information has not been published yet. 

The data formats are provided by customs. For every data element, the data format has been specified. 

There will be differences in data elements to provide on a customs declaration, with more and/or different data to provide compared to what’s being done today. This will require internal readjustment of the ERP systems in order to ensure that the data is provided correctly.