At an event held today at Portugal’s permanent representation to the European Union (EU), Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel, Finance Minister Joaquim Miranda Sarmento, and Porto Mayor Pedro Duarte will present Portugal’s bid for the European Union Customs Authority (EUCA).
This marks the official presentation in Brussels following the submission of the bid to the European Commission, targeting an audience of European institutional members.
The next step involves the community executive assessing and issuing an opinion, with a decision to be made by the co-legislators (countries and MEPs), potentially in February.
The European Union Customs Authority is a new community agency proposed by the European Commission in 2023, aimed at coordinating customs risk management across the various customs administrations of EU member states.
In addition to Portugal, eight other countries are competing: Belgium (Liège), Spain (Málaga), France (Lille), Croatia (Zagreb), Italy (Rome), Netherlands (The Hague), Poland (Warsaw), and Romania (Bucharest).
Last September, the Portuguese government announced its intention to submit a European bid to host the new European Union Customs Authority in Porto, Portugal.
The government, through a statement from the Finance Ministry, revealed plans to “move forward with a bid for the selection process” as it believes that “Portugal has the necessary conditions to host this new entity.”
The Portuguese government views the country’s geographic location as a key advantage for the bid.
“The country is the natural gateway for transatlantic and intercontinental trade in Europe, with an extensive maritime border and a strong tradition in customs matters,” argued the Finance Ministry at the time.
The “history of innovation, particularly in digitization” of the Portuguese Tax and Customs Authority was cited as another reason.
Regarding Porto’s selection as the host city for the agency, the Ministry explained that, based on the selection criteria, the city is the “most suitable, ensuring good accessibility and infrastructure, job market and education access, safety, and quality of life.”
The exact location, however, was not mentioned.
The EU Customs Authority is expected to be established by 2026, with the European Commission responsible for initiating its operations.
Portugal envisions the headquarters becoming operational next year, with around 250 staff working on-site by 2034.
In the coming weeks, the community executive will evaluate the nine bids, aiming to ensure that the chosen location allows the authority to execute its tasks and powers, recruit highly qualified and specialized personnel, and offer training opportunities.
Brussels will also assess site accessibility, availability of social facilities, adequate social security and healthcare access, and geographical balance.
Currently, two EU decentralized agencies are headquartered in Portugal, specifically in Lisbon: the European Maritime Safety Agency and the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction.
Portugal previously competed, unsuccessfully, for the European Medicines Agency with Lisbon and Porto.
The EU has over 30 decentralized agencies located across various member states.
