The Green Channel system is the EU’s automatic customs mechanism for carrying out checks on customs declarations. It works on the basis of risk analysis and selects shipments to be checked based on predetermined parameters. It can give three results: “No Control” (NC) and therefore immediate release of the shipment, “Document Control” (CD), “Goods Visit” (VM).
– NC: the goods are free and released without controls;
– CD: the official designated for documentary control examines the documentation accompanying the customs declaration. If there is correspondence between the shipment data and the customs declaration, it releases the goods, otherwise it deepens the verification by requesting additional documents and information or physically checking the goods.
– VM: when the system selects this intervention, the official designated to control is obliged to physically check the goods before releasing them and must certify what he has personally found.
In rare and special cases, customs officers may, on their own initiative, change an outcome from a CN to a CD or VM.