How To Fix EI261 - Country & not a member of the European Community!

EI261 - Overview

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: EI - Foreign Trade: Gen. Output

• Message number: 261

• Message text: Country & not a member of the European Community!

What causes this issue?

The ID numbers for declarations to the authorities can only be
maintained for countries that belong to the European Union.
Therefore, entries cannot be made in these fields.

System Response

The system informs you of this.
&NOTE&
If you have plants in Switzerland for which a simplified export
declaration must be made (EXTRASTAT declaration for Switzerland), you
can record

The system issues an error message and will not allow you to continue with this transaction until the error is resolved.

the customer number VAR in field 'EXTRASTAT: company number' and
the material number VAR in field 'EXTRASTAT: material number'.

Error message extract from SAP system. Copyright SAP SE.

Smart SAP Assistant

• What is the cause and solution for SAP error message EI261 - Country & not a member of the European Community! ?

  The SAP error message EI261 ("Country & not a member of the European Community!") typically occurs when you are trying to process a transaction that involves a country that is not recognized as a member of the European Community (EC) in the context of VAT (Value Added Tax) or other tax-related processes. This error is often encountered in scenarios involving sales, purchasing, or financial transactions where tax implications are relevant.
  
  Cause:
  
  Incorrect Country Code: The country code entered in the transaction may not be valid or recognized as an EC member.
  Master Data Issues: The master data for the customer or vendor may not be set up correctly, particularly the country field.
  Configuration Settings: The system configuration for tax settings may not include the country in question as a member of the EC.
  Transaction Type: The type of transaction being processed may not be applicable for non-EC countries, leading to this error.
  
  
  Solution:
  
  Verify Country Code: Check