The European Commission presented a strategy which involves more rational use of resources, better quality and availability of trade data, and deeper partnership with trade and international partners in order to enable customs to better tackle risks associated with goods being traded in international supply chains. In 2011, EU customs processed nearly 300 million customs declarations.

The Communication on Customs Risk Management and the Security of the Supply Chain adopted by the European Commission presents a strategy to enable customs to better tackle risks associated with goods being traded in international supply chains. The Commission highlighted that the proposed new EU approach will supplement national work by integrating a wider scope of information and intelligence from many sources. In December 2012, the Commission also adopted a Communication which set up the bases to modernise, strengthen and rationalise the customs union in the years ahead.

In particular, the Commission proposes a number of key actions to better ensure the security, health and well-being of citizens as well as legal trade and the economic and financial interests of the EU, which include that traders should make quality data available at the right time, in the right place for effective risk management; deeper engagement with companies moving goods across borders; ensuring homogeneous implementation of risk management throughout the external EU borders; considering the creation of a risk management capacity at EU level to complement Member State efforts; more structured and systematic cooperation between customs and other authorities; and increased international cooperation with the EU's main trading partners.

EU external trade grew by almost 50 % between 2004 and 2010. In 2011, EU customs processed nearly 300 million customs declarations; this represents an average of 8.9 declarations per second handled by the Member States’ customs administrations. Although the majority of trade is legal, illicit trade is estimated at almost 10% of the global economy. With global trade on the rise, the challenge to stop a bomb, contaminated food or smuggled goods is becoming increasingly complex.