Standards Development

Scope

The current and future infrastructure to satisfy the changing needs of citizens in the EU will grant access to wider postal stakeholders, including customers, postal suppliers, supply chain service providers, (i.e. customs, fiscal authorities collecting VAT and related duties, transport providers like airlines or rail road and other transport mode operators, non-profit organisations supporting supply chain traceability, etc.) non-designated economic postal operators (Courier-, Express-, and Parcel delivery operators) that use, or may wish to use products, services and solutions currently restricted to designated operators.

The NWI proposal aims at the same principles the UPU is about, to establish to foster its mission to maintain and further enhance a global postal network for all humankind, while the provision of a Single Digital Market in Europe is at the focus within CEN, in particular:

• maintaining the integrity and independence of the European and worldwide delivery network

• no unfair advantage to any group or individual player, and thereby providing a level playing field

• clear delineation of the responsibilities and roles of all entities involved

• transparent management, control and integration of the postal supply chain as legally described in EU legislation (EU Regulation 2018/644 on cross-border parcel delivery services)

• reciprocity of interconnection with other stakeholder networks, as applicable

• proper security mechanisms in place to ensure data protection and privacy to provide the necessary implementation guidance of EAD for fiscal duties (VAT et all), customs and transport security.

The current MoU between the UPU and CEN offers the foundation to convert UPU specifications only applicable to designated postal operators into open CEN specifications. The creation of a digital single market has significant implications on cross border commerce and related delivery of merchandise and correspondence. Operators within the EEA will need to establish European standards to bridge, integrate and enhance current existing, but limited standards to designated UPU postal operators, so that the aim to engage the wider postal sector players can be reached.

The proposed technical report (TR) shall provide the necessary implementation guidance. It´s bases shall be the work mandated and carried out by Project Team "C" to develop technical specification for Electronic advanced data (EAD) in postal operations compliant to security and customs requirements.

The proposed technical report shall be based on the semantic mapping description of information on the characteristics or attributes of Low Value Consignments (LVC) which parties in the digital commercial value chain across-borders are called upon to handle, compliant to the EU VAT Ecommerce Package as well as the UPU-WCO customs model. It shall give guidance by defining the use of unique transport identifiers, unique transaction identifiers and the IOSS VAT Identification number.

Purpose

CEN is requested by the European Commission in its standardization request M/548, to develop European standards / other deliverables or, where necessary, to revise existing standards. The goal is to be compliant to security and customs requirements for electronic advanced data and to promote interoperability of parcel-delivery operations. This way we contribute to promoting the creation of a Digital Single Market for the European Union.

This new Technical Report (TR) shall give guidance on how to implement electronic advance data (EAD) for VAT, customs and the increased security requirements for commercial postal items, including economic operators.

The development is funded by the European Commission in Project Team C (PTC, under CEN/TC331 WG2), who has developed a first draft. This draft is in line with legislation and implementing acts adopted in Dec.2017 and published Dec 29th, 2017, the so called “EU VAT Ecommerce Package” (OJ L 348 of 29.12.2017 – Council Directive [EU] 2017/2455; Council Regulation [EU] 2017/2454; Council Implementing Regulation [EU] 2017/2459).

A ballot had been undertaken in late 2019 to active the current PWI 331115 and to create a NWIP to deliver a TS in line with the mandate and contract of the European Commission to CEN/TC331 (M/548). The NWIP was not adopted (CEN/TC331/N 1578).

Several National Standardisation Authorities (NSA), voting against the adoption of the NWIP and the activation of the PWI 331115 commented that a change of the NWIP and deliverable from TS to TR would be acceptable, and active participation to a develop such a TR would be supported.

Given these statements and the need to successfully complete the mandate given by the European Commission to CEN/TC331 (M/548), the CEN/TC331 secretariat (NEN) and the Convenor of CEN/TC331 WG2 contacted the European Commission. The European Commission agreed to change the deliverable from TS to TR. Given the new deliverable and the statements of several NSA, this new ballot to activate the PWI 331115 has been launched.