A new model for European customs
The reform of the European Customs Union aims at an operation based on data sharing and coordination among administrations. According to Agenda Digitale, the new Union Customs Code entered into force on September 21, 2026, marking the formal start of the reform process. The ELDA project fits into this framework with the goal of combining statistics, law and artificial intelligence to support the Data Hub, the system around which the new approach to controls revolves.
The change in model mainly concerns how information is shared between authorities and how controls are selected. Risk analysis becomes central: controls are no longer merely random or uniform, but targeted on the basis of available data. This aspect is relevant because it affects the organization of customs work and the ability to detect anomalies.
The role of e-commerce and the operational partners
The first testing ground indicated by the source is e-commerce. This is an area in which the volume of shipments and the fragmentation of operators make traditional control particularly complex, but the material does not provide quantitative data on the phenomenon or technical details on how ELDA will intervene in practice.
Among the project's operational partners is the Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM). The source also mentions the role of ADM's chief operating officer, without however attributing specific statements. The presence of the Italian agency confirms the involvement of national authorities in the reform process, but the material does not clarify what exactly its operational role within ELDA will be.
What remains to be verified
The picture outlined by the source is still at an early stage. No implementation timelines, allocated resources, measurable expected results or technical methods of integration among statistics, law and artificial intelligence are indicated. Even the practical operation of the Data Hub is not described in detail.
These gaps do not cast doubt on the project's existence, but they make its assessment uncertain. For a complete judgment, it will be necessary to verify how ELDA will be implemented, what data will actually be shared and with what safeguards, and whether the use of artificial intelligence will produce more targeted controls or merely more numerous ones. The available material makes it possible to place the project within the reform process, not to measure its impact.
