The European Commission recently proposed a number of new short- and medium-term actions designed to address risks stemming from low-value imports sold via non-EU online retailers and marketplaces hosting non-EU traders.
According to a Commission press release, in 2024 approximately 4.6 billion low-value consignments (goods with a value not exceeding €150) entered the EU market, twice as many as in 2023 and three times as many as in 2022. Concerns regarding this surge include that many of these goods have been found to be non-compliant with European legislation, disadvantaging European sellers that respect EU product standards and posing an increased risk of harm to consumers, and that the large number of packages being shipped and transported has increased the workload for customs authorities and has a negative environmental and climate footprint.
In response, the European Commission is proposing a number of new joint actions, including the following.
- adoption of the proposed Customs Union Reform Package, which would allow rapid implementation of new rules such as removing the duty exemption for low-value parcels and reinforcing capabilities for controls such as better data-sharing and risk assessment
- consideration of further measures on e-commerce items imported directly to consumers (e.g., a non-discriminatory handling fee) to address the scaling costs of supervising compliance of billions of such consignments with EU rules
- specific coordinated customs controls under a priority control area (together with EU member states’ customs, market surveillance, and other competent authorities) focusing specifically on e-commerce imports
- a new coordinated activity on the safety of products sold online and the exchange of information between customs and market surveillance authorities on emerging product safety issues and risks
- the intensification of future controls for certain operators, goods, or trade flows, on a rolling basis, linked to the rate of non-compliance, with penalties reflecting cases of systematic non-compliance
- highlighting e-commerce practices as a clear enforcement priority under the Digital Services Act as well as tools such as the Digital Markets Act and those that apply to all traders such as the General Product Safety Regulation, the Consumer Protection Cooperation Regulation, and the Consumer Protection Network
- providing training activities on EU product safety rules and assessing any evidence that may emerge relating to dumping and subsidization
The Commission said it will assess these actions within a year of their effectiveness and consider whether further actions and proposals are necessary.
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