ECICS the European Customs Inventory of Chemical Substances is an information tool managed by the European Commission's Directorate General (DG) for Taxation and Customs Union which allows users to:
It was first published in 1974 and became an activity of the Customs Laboratories European Network (CLEN - Action 6) in 2009. It is available freely as part of DG Taxation and Customs Union's Data Dissemination System.
ECICS lists chemical names in a number of EU languages (currently mainly eleven) along with their tariff classification in the European Community's Combined Nomenclature (eight-digit CN codes). As the CN codes are based on the "Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System" emanating from WCO, the ECICS tariff classifications are helpful throughout the world.
Each product listed in ECICS is identified by the CUS number, assigned by DG Taxation and Customs Union, which is an easy identifier to search the database and to communicate with Customs. Products are also identified by the Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number (CAS RN), a system used to identify chemical products the world over, as well as by other numbers like EC numbers, UN numbers...
Names are usually recognised internationally like International Nonproprietary Names for pharmaceuticals, International Organization for Standardization names for pesticides and chemical names constructed according to the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) nomenclatures.
ECICS database mainly contains pure chemicals. However, as it becomes a cornerstone for Customs, Customs Laboratories and economic operators dealing with trade of all chemicals, its coverage is being constantly extended. It currently contains more than 49 000 records. Do not hesitate to send your suggestions for new products to TAXUD-DDS-ECICS@ec.europa.eu mailbox.
ECICS is regularly updated by DG Taxation and Customs Union, assisted by the Member States' representatives in the Customs Code Committee - Tariff and Statistical Nomenclature Section (agriculture/chemical sector).