# Once-Only Principle

*Last updated: 2026-06-26*

> A freight forwarder who must re-enter the same company data with every customs declaration is living the exact opposite of the Once-Only Principle.

A freight forwarder who must re-enter the same company data with every customs declaration is living the exact opposite of the Once-Only Principle. This administrative principle holds that public authorities must not request information already provided by a business or individual; instead, they access and reuse verified data to process new applications or procedures. In cross-border trade, it applies primarily to master data—company identifiers, registered addresses, commodity descriptions—submitted once and shared across competent authorities. The principle reduces administrative workload, cuts transcription errors, and strengthens compliance by drawing from authoritative sources rather than manually re-entered copies that may diverge over time. It forms a cornerstone of modern e-government architecture and features prominently in EU customs modernisation initiatives.

**Source:** [https://ec.europa.eu/digital-building-blocks/en/content/once-only-principle](https://ec.europa.eu/digital-building-blocks/en/content/once-only-principle)

## Quick Facts

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Term | Once-Only Principle |
| Language | EN |
| Word count | 116 |
| Last updated | 2026-06-26 |
| Source | https://ec.europa.eu/digital-building-blocks/en/content/once-only-principle |

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*Logistics Glossary — Freight Academy: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/once-only-principle](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/once-only-principle)*

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