Božinović: Croatia is ready to host the EU's Customs Authority

Croatia presented Zagreb's candidacy to host the new EU Customs Authority at the European Parliament in Brussels on Wednesday. Led by the Croatian Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, the delegation appeared before the Internal Market Committee and answered questions from MEPs.

Croatian Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Davor Božinović was in Brussels on Wednesday where he participated in a debate on the candidates for the seat of the new EU customs agency. Presenting Zagreb as one of the nine candidates, Minister Božinović said that Croatia was well prepared to host the EU agency: "Awarding the seat of customs authority to Zagreb would establish a better geographical balance within the European Union in terms of seat locations and distribution. Let me remind you that Croatia is the only candidate today, for the customs authority seat that still does not host a European Union agency. We are ready to assume this responsibility and in Zagreb the EU customs authority can begin its work as soon as required."

Minister Božinović added that Croatia already has a building that could house the agency and is willing to cover a part of the costs. Here's what he told reporters after the hearing: "We showed that Croatia, specifically Zagreb, is a strong candidate and that the arguments work in our favor - both financially and because of the fact that the agency would be in one of the safest EU member states."

The new EU Customs Authority (EUCA) is being established to centralize, modernize, and digitize customs procedures. Operations should start in 2028 and run at full capacity by 2034. It aims to replace fragmented national systems with a central EU Customs Data Hub. A final decision on which city will host the agency will be made jointly by the European Parliament and the European Council in February.

Source: HRT