Division 1 The data elements of the electronic messages used for the purpose of the computerised system referred to in Article 21(2) of Directive 2008/118/EC are structured in data groups and, where applicable, data subgroups. Details regarding the data and their use are presented in Tables 1 to 6, in which:

column A provides the numeric code (number) attributed to each data group and data subgroup; each subgroup follows the sequence number of the data (sub)group of which it forms part (for example: where the data group number is 1, one data subgroup of this group is 1.1 and one data subgroup of this subgroup is 1.1.1);

column B provides the alphabetic code (letter) attributed to each data element in a data (sub)group;

column C identifies the data (sub)group or data element;

column D provides each data (sub)group or data element with a value indicating whether the insertion of the corresponding data is:

• ‘R’ (Required), meaning that the data must be provided. When a data (sub)group is ‘O’ (Optional) or ‘C’ (Conditional), data elements within that group can still be ‘R’ (Required) when the competent authorities of the Member State have decided that the data in this (sub)group must be completed or when the condition applies,

• ‘O’ (Optional), meaning that the insertion of the data is optional for the person submitting the message (the consignor or consignee) except where a Member State has stipulated that the data are required in accordance with the option provided for in column E for some of the optional data (sub)groups or data elements,

• ‘C’ (Conditional), meaning that the use of the data (sub)group or data element depends on other data (sub)groups or data elements in the same message,

• ‘D’ (Dependent), meaning that the use of the data (sub)group or data element depends on a condition which cannot be checked by the computerised system, as provided for in columns E and F.

column E provides the condition(s) for data whose insertion is conditional, specifies the use of the optional and dependent data where applicable and indicates which data must be provided by the competent authorities;

column F provides explanations, where necessary, concerning the completion of the message;

column G provides:

• for some data (sub)groups a number followed by the character ‘x’ indicating how many times the data (sub)group can be repeated in the message (default = 1), and

• for each data element, except for data elements indicating the time and/or the date, the characteristics identifying the data type and the data length. The codes for the data types are as follows:

  • a alphabetic

  • n numeric

  • an alphanumeric

The number following the code provides the admissible data length for the data element concerned. The optional two dots before the length indicator mean that the data have no fixed length, but can have up to a number of digits, as specified by the length indicator. A comma in the data length means that the data can hold decimals, the digit before the comma provides the total length of the attribute, the digit after the comma provides the maximum number of digits after the decimal point.

• for data elements indicating the time and/or date, the mention ‘date’, ‘time’ or ‘dateTime’, meaning that the date, the time or the date and time must be given using the ISO 8601 standard for representation of dates and time.