Michael Rathjie
Head of the Customs Transit and Status Sector, European Commission (DG TAXUD)
Michael Rathje is Head of the Customs Transit and Status Sector in the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union (DG TAXUD). He leads the development and implementation of the European Union’s customs transit framework, ensuring the efficient movement of goods across borders and contributing to the effective functioning of the EU Customs Union.
With several decades of experience in customs, finance, and international affairs, he has been at the forefront of the digital transformation of customs procedures, helping to guide the transition from paper-based processes to interoperable electronic systems across the European Union and partner countries. He played a key role in the development and deployment of the first trans-European customs transit systems.
His work focuses on strengthening interoperability, facilitating cross-border cooperation, and integrating international transit solutions such as eTIR into the European customs ecosystem. By bridging policy, legal frameworks, and digital implementation, he contributes to the modernization of customs processes and the creation of secure, efficient, and future-ready trade corridors.
Drawing on a career spanning national and European administrations, he brings a unique perspective on how digital innovation, international standards, and public sector collaboration can advance global trade facilitation.
Role of Efficient Transit:
- Speeds up border crossings, reduces costs (transport, environmental, social). Critical for Just-in-Time delivery and modern logistics, modern monitoring by customs.
EU’s Transit Evolution:
- 1960s: Paper-based system for 6 founding EU members. 2000s: Shift to NCTS (New Computerized Transit System) Today: 41 countries (27 EU + 14 others) use NCTS.
NCTS Success:
- First trans-European customs IT system, model for many other systems EU systems and beyond. Balances trade facilitation (faster clearances) with customs controls (risk management).
eTIR Integration:
- Challenge: Linking eTIR (global) with NCTS (regional). Solution: Hybrid model—EU hosts eTIR centrally (later moved to EU Customs Data Hub), while NCTS handles internal EU transit. Benefits: Harmonized implementation, real-time data sync, cost-effective.
Key Lessons:
- Open, scalable systems (built for 40+ countries). Interoperability (aligned with WCO/UNECE standards). User-centric design (simplify for traders, enhance risk tools for customs). Future-proof: Event-driven, AI-enabled risk profiling possible.
Future Outlook (2026+):
- EU Customs Data Hub: 360° view of consignments, shift from declarations to data events. eTIR as Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI): Centralised, integrated with EU systems.