The second meeting of the WCO Working Group on E-Commerce (WGEC) took place in Brussels from 10 to 13 October 2017.
Upon further assessment of the outcomes of the Study Report on Cross-Border E-Commerce, focused on Customs administrations procedures and country-specific best practices on e-commerce transactions, the WGEC announced the release in the coming months of the following instruments:
- A “Resolution on cross-border E-Commerce” which advocates the need for establishing an E-Commerce framework of standards based on the following key principles of cross-border E-Commerce: Advance Electronic Data and Risk Management, Facilitation and Simplification, Safety and Security, Revenue Collection, Measurement and Analysis, Partnerships, Public Awareness, Outreach, Capacity Building, and Legislative Frameworks.
- A “Communiqué on E-Commerce”, outlining the international Customs community’s position, which is expected to be sent to delegates attending the Eleventh Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization that will take place from 10 to 13 December 2017.
- A “WCO framework of standards on Cross-Border E-Commerce” that will consolidate the outcomes of various ongoing work-streams and provide guidelines and practical approaches for each of the principles mentioned in the Recommendation, including good working examples to implement them.
- An updated version of the Immediate Release Guidelines, which provide guidance to both Customs and the trade on expediting the cross-border release/clearance increasing volumes of low-value and small E-Commerce shipments/parcels.
The full text of the WCO press release is available here.