Section V

Competent authorities, customs authorities and other authorities of the Member States dealing with animals and goods entering the Union shall cooperate closely to ensure that the official controls on consignments of animals and goods entering the Union are performed in accordance with the requirements of this Regulation. For that purpose, competent authorities, customs authorities and other authorities shall: ensure reciprocal access to information which is necessary for the organisation and conduct of their respective activities in relation to animals and goods entering the Union; and ensure the timely exchange of such information, including via electronic means. The Commission shall, by means of implementing acts, lay down rules on uniform cooperation arrangements that competent authorities, customs authorities and other authorities referred to in paragraph 1 are required to put in place to ensure: access by competent authorities to the information necessary for the immediate and complete identification of the consignments of animals and goods entering the Union that are subject to official controls at a border control post in accordance with Article 47(1); the reciprocal update, through exchanges of information or synchronisation of relevant data sets, of information gathered by competent authorities, customs authorities and other authorities on consignments of animals and goods entering the Union; and the swift communication of decisions taken by such authorities on the basis of the information referred to in points (a) and (b). Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 145(2). Paragraphs 2, 3, and 4 of this Article shall apply in the case of consignments of animals and goods other than those subject to controls at entry into the Union as required by Article 47(1) of this Regulation and for which a customs declaration for release for free circulation has been made in accordance with point 12 of Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 and Articles 158 to 202 of that Regulation. Customs authorities shall suspend release for free circulation when they have reason to believe that the consignment may present a risk to human, animal or plant health, animal welfare or, as regards GMOs and plant protection products, also to the environment, and immediately notify the competent authorities of such suspension. A consignment whose release for free circulation has been suspended pursuant to paragraph 2 shall be released if, within three working days of the suspension of release, the competent authorities have not requested customs authorities to continue the suspension or have informed customs authorities that no risk is present. Where the competent authorities consider that a risk to human, animal or plant health, animal welfare or, as regards GMOs and plant protection products, also to the environment, is present; they shall request the customs authorities not to release the consignment for free circulation and to include the following statement on the commercial invoice accompanying the consignment and on any other relevant accompanying document or the relevant electronic equivalents: ‘Product presents a risk — release for free circulation not authorised — Regulation (EU) 2017/…’; no other customs procedure shall be permitted without the consent of the competent authorities; and Article 66(1), (3), (5) and (6), Articles 67, 68 and 69, Article 71(1) and (2) and Article 72(1) and (2) shall apply. In the case of consignments of animals and goods other than those subject to controls at entry into the Union as required by Article 47(1) and for which no customs declaration for release for free circulation has been made, customs authorities, where they have reason to believe that the consignment may present a risk to human, animal or plant health, animal welfare or, as regards GMOs and plant protection products, also to the environment, shall transmit all relevant information to the customs authorities in the Member States of final destination.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-11-02 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.