essDOCS eDocs will deliver faster, more secure and transparent customs procedures.

VALETTA, MALTA, 2 November 2010: essDOCS, the leading shipping eDocs provider, has obtained recognition by the UK HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) for providing a Functional Stage 1 (FS1) compliant solution under the Excise Movement and Control System (EMCS).

CustomsDocs is one of the first solutions to be recognised by HMRC for complying with EMCS FS1. Confirmation of the recognition can be found on the HMRC’s website: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ebu/emcs-online.htm.

EMCS is a computerised system which will capture and process information in respect of all movements of excise goods in duty suspension (alcohol, tobacco and oil products) within the European Union. EMCS will replace the current paper-based Administrative Accompanying Document (AAD) for intra-EU duty suspended movements. The legal basis for EMCS was laid down in Decision No 1152/2003/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, dated 16 June 2003 and European Council Directive (2008/118/EEC).

From 1 January 2011, traders must use EMCS for all movements of duty-suspended excise goods within the EU. EMCS will capture and process AAD information online, validate data and allow real-time notification of dispatch and receipt of such goods. Authorised warehouse keepers, registered consignors, registered consignees and temporary registered consignees will exchange messages online containing consignment and movement information with their trading counterparts.

EMCS will link over 150,000 traders in 27 national administrations across the EU. Each Member State is developing its own national EMCS application and these systems will be linked to all other members through a central domain, maintained by the European Commission.

CustomsDocs Services provide users with a simple and efficient web-based service for submitting or receiving an electronic Administrative Document (eAD) or a Report of Receipt (RoR) under EMCS. CustomsDocs are a fully-hosted solution, purpose-designed for customers with significant eAD submissions and can be integrated with the customer’s own operations and ERP system. The service is supported by a UK helpdesk and essDOCS customers also have the option of using CustomsDocs as part of integrated suite of services, together with electronic Bills of Lading and electronic Safety Data Sheets.

EMCS is being rolled out in three stages, as follows:

1. 1 April 2010: Functional Specifications Zero (FS0) required that initial EU Member States provide a system to handle the online discharge of a movement under duty suspension. The countries involved included: Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania and Latvia. Traders receiving duty suspended goods from such countries will need to manage a combination of both paper AADs and eADs until 1 January 2011.
2. 1 January 2011: The upcoming FS1 requires that all EU Member States provide a system to submit and discharge movements online, essentially meaning that it is compulsory for traders throughout the EU to submit the Administrative Document and the Report of Receipt electronically through EMCS . Additional functionality means that traders will be able to cancel a movement and change destination.
3. 1 January 2012: FS2 will allow for additional functionality, such as splitting one energy product movement into two or more movements.

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