The Future of Customs in the EU 2040 report is an outcome of a year-long foresight process. Its aim is to support strategic reflection on the future of the European Union's Customs Union, its relevance and its effectiveness in the long-term. The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) undertook the project in collaboration with the Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union (DG TAXUD). Being participatory and multidisciplinary is an inherent part of any foresight process, and thus it involved all relevant stakeholder groups: including representatives of EU Member States, key trading partners, trade associations, businesses, consumer organisations, international organisations, academia, and different services and Directorates-General of the European Commission. Foresight serves policymakers in identifying, understanding and directing change, and hence supports the creation of policies that are more robust and fit for the long-term future. To that end, four scenarios of how customs in the European Union could look in 2040, have been created. Further, the exploration of the scenarios and insights from the process fed into a vision-building process, which resulted in a co-created vision for EU Customs in 2040. The foresight process also included a first reflection on how the vision can be reached. Part I of the report presents the summarized outcomes of the foresight methods used, and Part II provides detailed outputs and methodology. The step-by-step process descriptions in Part II can be useful for future foresight initiatives in customs or related policy areas.

The Real-time Delphi survey method is a structured expert survey methodology used to gather opinions on different possible developments in the long-term future on a given topic. This type of surveys is a useful way to elicit, collect and synthesise the opinions of a large group of experts and to give ideas to start a debate. In the Real-time Delphi survey that was carried out within The Future of Customs in the EU 2040 project, the participants were asked to react to 16 statements formulated as if they were taking place in the year 2040. They cover different issues related to customs, such as the role of customs, trade, digital and technological development, human resources, and corruption and fraud. For each statement, respondents were asked to answer four sub-questions: an estimate of the likelihood of the statement happening, the timeframe by when it might occur, an indication of which domains of EU action would be influential on the statement, and a suggestion of which EU action could support the achievement of the statement (or its prevention, depending on the case). People were also encouraged to explain their response.

This report forms the output of a Study, carried out for the Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union (DG TAXUD) of the European Commission, to support the impact assessment for an EU Single Window environment for customs. In the context of the Study, a single window can be defined as a facility which allows parties involved in trade and transport to lodge standardised digital information and electronic documents with a single-entry point to fulfil all import, export and transit-related regulatory requirements. These relate in particular to non-customs legislation that many goods are subject to at borders as part of the clearance process. An impact assessment is an aid to policy-making that is required for all EU initiatives that are likely to have significant economic, environmental or social impacts. The purpose of the Study was to conduct research, analysis and stakeholder consultation for the Commission's work on the impact assessment, in line with the Commission's Better Regulation Guidelines and Toolbox, and thereby inform decision-making. The Study was formally split into several tasks related to key elements of the impact assessment, namely: 1. Assessment of the extent of and evidence for the existence of problems, and their magnitude; 2. Refinement the general and specific objectives; 3. Description of the policy options; 4. Analyse the impacts of the options. The study also included an evaluation of the EU Single Window - Common Veterinary Entry Document pilot project (hereinafter EU SW-CVED). As an initiative that aimed to address similar objectives to a future EU customs Single Window, and that would continue to exist in the absence of further action, this provided valuable input to the Study. The Study's scope included the entire EU and all relevant initiatives therein, including national single windows in some Member States and EU customs and non-customs policies related to border management and goods clearance. In terms of practical implementation, the study lasted 24 months and was overseen by DG TAXUD and an inter-service steering group convened for the purpose of developing the future initiative.

In the same way as there are many futures, not just one, there are many ways to conceive and practice foresight. The challenge of the great turning point of our civilization is to free ourselves from our prejudices in order to imagine and build desirable futures. The process is, by nature, ethical and prospective. In a complex, uncertain and geopolitically transforming world, we must be open to the diversity of cultures and the different perceptions of the future. This requires us to reflect on the purpose and means of our societies. Futures proposes different cultural and ethical views on civilizational transformation by offering a rare, transnational panorama of the visions of the future in a European, American and Chinese context. Through numerous examples, this book illustrates how foresight is practiced and what this can achieve in strategic terms.

The European Union (‘EU’) is promoting a suite of innovations in international economic regulation—among them, reforms for secure and sustainable investment, a comprehensive approach to the mutual recognition of professional qualifications, a viable carbon border adjustment mechanism, heightened intellectual property rights protection, the arm’s length principle in taxation, and an increased commitment to non-economic vales. Through a critical analysis of key regulations and policies, this volume explores the evolving architectures of international economic agreements in light of EU practice. A comprehensive analysis indicates that novelties are rooted in geoeconomic considerations, through which a fundamental shift is underway towards the adoption of comprehensive bilateral trade agreements. Whilst innovation has the potential to significantly harmonise cross-border regulatory frameworks, it can also trigger significant fractures, particularly when applied restrictively and asymmetrically. Arguably, the ‘Brussels effect’ will to a certain extent foster a progressive development of international economic regulation, while in some respects being constrained by the status quo of the international economic regime. This volume is part of the Jean Monnet project Third Country Engagement with EU Trade Policy led by the ANU Centre for European Studies at the Australian National University, and supported by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ actions. The project seeks to explore and improve understanding of the EU’s evolving trade policy and its implications for third countries, including Australia and countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

COVID-19 wrecked the plans and strategies of organizations everywhere, while injecting greater uncertainty into a world already undergoing disruptive social and technological change. Strategic Foresight can help us navigate through the recovery and beyond. Strategic Foresight is a systematic, intelligence-gathering, vision-building process that helps us manage uncertainty by discerning plausible alternative futures and applying the insights to present-day planning. It is ideally suited to a world upended by the pandemic and rapid transformations in the way we live, work and interact. Using approachable language and a multitude of examples, Learning from Tomorrow shows how Strategic Foresight broadens our perspectives, exposes opportunities and risks, and opens our minds to innovation in a post-pandemic world. It is essential reading for organizational leaders and those responsible for developing strategies, scenarios, policies and plans.

Carefully authored by Justine Pila, this significantly revised and expanded third edition of Catherine Seville’s classic text, presents a thorough and detailed treatise on EU intellectual property (IP) law, taking into account the many developments in legislation and case law since the second edition.