50 Year ago today

Today is exactly 50 years since the EU Customs Union came into force back in 1968. This is the largest and most advanced Customs Union in the world to date.

Borne out of the landmark post-war agreements that paved the way for European integration, the Customs Union opened for budiness in 1968. By abolishing customs tariffs for trade in goods within what is now the EU, the Customs Union marked the first decisive step towards the EU becoming the world’s largest trading bloc, with the 28 customs administrations of the EU acting as though they were one entity.

Over the past 50 years, the Customs Union has developed into a cornerstone of our Single Market, keeping EU borders safe and protecting our citizens from prohibited and dangerous goods such as weapons and drugs. It also facilitates an ever-growing portion of global trade: EU customs handled 16% of the world’s commerce in 2017.

On 1 July 2018, exactly 50 years after the Customs Union was established, the Commission is organising events at airports and schools across the EU to raise awareness of this extraordinary achievement.

In the link below you can see how some people remember some of the biggest milestones in its history.

You can read about the history of the EU Customs Union here: EU Customs Union 50 year birthday