AI image
ENS stop words are a list of banned, overly generic words and phrases in the goods description field (and in party data) of an ENS declaration in the EU ICS2 system. A description such as goods, samples, parts or various is rejected, which blocks lodging the declaration and holds the consignment at the border. The European Commission maintains this list in a Common Repository and keeps extending it. In road transport the ENS declaration in ICS2 is lodged as a rule at the latest 1 hour before the goods arrive at the EU border, so there is often little time to correct a rejected description.
Download the EC document (PDF)
Why a description of goods will not pass
The purpose of ENS is risk analysis before the goods even arrive. A description that is too generic says nothing about the contents, so the system rejects it automatically. In practice this means a filing error, the need to correct it and a delay, and on time-critical transport, for example to a trade fair, every hour is costly. The same rule applies to party data: a name such as Private or an address such as N/A is also rejected.
How to describe goods correctly
Instead of a word from the list, give a specific, commercial description: what it is, what it is made of and what it is for. Examples: instead of parts write steel brake discs for passenger cars; instead of electronics write USB mains chargers for phones; instead of samples write cotton fabric samples for collars. A good description is consistent with the invoice and the customs tariff code. More on documents and declaration data in the texts on export documents and the EORI number, and we run the whole clearance within customs clearance.
The stop words list (initial version, 2025)
Goods description (business knowledge)
- xxx
- Not available
- Unknown
- Vegan
Unacceptable goods descriptions (examples)
- Accessories
- Adapter
- Agricultural products
- Aid consignment
- Alcohol
- All kind of Cargo
- All kind of Goods
- Animals
- Apparel
- Appliances
- Arms
- Articles
- Artwork
- As ordered
- As per attached invoice
- Attached manifest
- Auto
- Auto Parts
- Automobiles
- HAWB
- Baggage
- Bags
- Battery
- Bazaar goods
- Biological Substances
- Birthday gifts
- Bits
- Boards
- Boxes
- Cables
- Cars
- Case
- Caps
- Cartons
- Charity
- Chemicals
- Chemicals flammable
- Chemicals hazardous
- Chemicals non-hazardous
- Cleaning products
- Clothes
- Clothing
- Collected items
- Commodity
- Company names
- Component
- Consol
- CNSL
- Consolidated cargo
- Consolidated goods
- Consolidated
- Consolidation
- Consumer
- Courier
- Courier bags
- Courier goods
- Courier material
- Dangerous goods
- Decorative crafts
- Decorative items
- Decorations
- Didactic articles
- Documents
- Documentations
- Docs
- Dox
- Drugs
- Drums
- e-Commerce
- Electronic equipment
- Electronic goods
- Electronic items
- Electronics
- Equipment
- Exhibition goods
- Express
- Firearm
- Fish
- Food
- Foodstuff
- Footwear
- Freight All Kinds
- Fresh Fruit
- Fresh Herbs
- Fresh Plants
- Fresh Vegetable
- From UPU Postal
- Fruit
- Fruit products
- Fruit Pulp
- Fuel
- Garments
- General cargo
- General goods
- General merchandise
- Gift box
- Gifts
- Gizmos
- Glass
- Goods
- Granulate
- Handcraft
- Handicraft
- Handling codes
- Hardware for gift
- Herbs
- Home goods
- Household goods
- Invoice
- I.T. goods
- Industrial products
- Instruments
- Iron
- Steel
- Iso Tanks
- Jewellery
- Jewelry
- Jewels
- Joint shipping
- Label
- Leather Articles
- Line
- Likewise
- Liquids
- Fluids
- Live Animals
- Live plants
- Machine parts
- Machinery
- Machines
- Materials
- Meat
- Medical equipment
- Medicines
- Merchandise
- Merc.
- Metal
- Miscellaneous products
- Misc
- Mixed
- Model
- None
- Non-Woven
- Odd parts
- Oils
- Ores
- Others
- Pads
- Package numbers
- Pallets
- Parcel
- Party accessories
- Parts
- Perishables
- Personal address
- Personal effects
- Pharmaceutical
- Pieces
- pces
- Pipes
- Plants
- Plastic Goods
- Plates
- Polyurethane
- Powder
- Pre-addressed parcel
- Printed material
- Private things
- Produce
- Products
- Propellant
- PVC items
- Quilts
- Raw material
- Returned goods
- Rods
- Rubber Articles
- Said to Contain
- Sample
- Samples for analysis
- Sanitary goods
- Scrap
- See invoice
- See attached invoice
- Several
- Several goods
- Shoes
- Snickers
- Souvenirs
- Spare
- Spare parts
- SPPT
- Sporting Goods
- Stuff
- Substance
- Tablet accessories
- Tablets
- Technology
- Test
- Textile goods
- Textiles
- Things
- Tires
- Tools
- Toys
- Tubing
- Uniform
- Vaccine
- Various
- Various goods
- Various products
- Vegetables
- Vehicles
- Waste
- Weapons
- Wearing apparel
- White goods
- Wires
- Wooden articles
Party name (consignor, consignee)
- 2checkout
- Please select
- Private
- Private individual
- N/A
- Not available
- Unknown
- xxxx
Party address and city
- 2checkout
- N/A
- Not available
- Please select
- Private
- Unknown
- xxxx
Items marked in the EC document as temporarily disabled: Fish, Glass, Iron, Steel, Metal, Model. Items added from 01.08.2025: xxx, Vegan. The list changes, so confirm the current state in CIRCABC before use.
Why does the ICS2 system reject generic terms like goods or parts?
The system rejects overly broad terms because customs security risk analysis requires precise knowledge of the exact nature of the items being moved across the EU border.
Step by step
- Review goods description. Check transport documents to ensure no banned stop words are present.
- Specify exact terms. Replace generic categories with clear, detailed commercial or technical item descriptions.
- Verify party details. Ensure trader names and address fields do not include forbidden generic terms.
- Submit declaration. Lodge the accurate entry summary data into the ICS2 system within the required timeframe.
- Track response. Monitor the system confirmation status to address any error flags immediately.
Definitions
- ENS (Entry Summary Declaration): A digital safety and security declaration lodged in the customs system prior to bringing goods into the EU customs territory.
- ICS2 (Import Control System 2): The European Union information system used to collect customs security data and conduct risk analysis.
- ENS stop words: A central list of overly vague terms in goods descriptions that trigger immediate rejection of the security declaration.
- Common Repository: An EU database maintaining up-to-date validation rules and banned generic descriptions for customs declarations.
When does this rule not apply?
This validation rule does not apply to shipments that are exempt from entry summary declaration requirements under specific customs arrangements, unless the cargo is handled through standard ICS2 procedures.
The OTSL role
We review cargo descriptions and customs documentation to ensure compliance before your freight reaches the border. Discover our road transport options and learn more about returning goods from the UK for smooth customs clearances.
