go to the original language article
The European Commission announced today that it will take measures to ensure that the billions of packages sold to European consumers through non-EU online retailers are safe.
In 2023, approximately 4.6 billion low-value shipments, i.e., packages valued not exceeding 150 euros, entered the EU market, mainly from China. This equates to about 12 million packages per day. This number is double what it was in 2023 and triple what it was in 2022, and many of these goods have been found to be non-compliant with European legislation.
This increasing number of imported small parcels raises many concerns, the Commission emphasizes: more and more harmful products are entering the EU, and European sellers, who adhere to the high EU product standards, are at risk of being harmed by unfair practices and the sale of counterfeit/copycat products through online shopping platforms. At the same time, the large number of parcels being sent and transported has a negative environmental and climatic footprint.
E-commerce brings many benefits to consumers, businesses—including SMEs—and the EU economy as a whole, with about 70% of Europeans regularly buying products online. However, the Commission points out that customs authorities are facing increasing workloads and emerging risks related to product safety and compliance, illegal goods, sustainability, and unfair competition for responsible businesses. For example, about half of the counterfeit goods seized at the EU borders that violated the SMEs’ intellectual property rights were purchased online.
“In Europe, consumers should enjoy the full potential of e-commerce and have access to convenient, affordable, safe, and high-quality products online. Similarly, European businesses should benefit from a level playing field in the single market,” the Commission emphasizes, which today presented all the tools already at the EU’s disposal to address the risks and concerns arising from the increase of unsafe, counterfeit, and otherwise non-compliant or illegal products entering the European market.
Among other things, the Commission calls on all co-legislators to swiftly approve the proposed package of measures to reform the customs union, allowing for the rapid implementation of new rules to ensure equal competitive conditions in the e-commerce sector. This includes the removal of duty exemptions for low-value parcels below 150 euros and the strengthening of capabilities for checks, such as better exchange
According to the Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Maroš Šefčovič, as e-commerce develops, we must intensify our efforts to prevent non-compliant products from entering the EU market and ensure fair competition for both European and third-country operators. He stressed that the ambitious customs union reform proposed by the Commission in May 2023 includes the elimination of duty exemptions for low-value parcels and the strengthening of control through a proposed EU customs authority and an EU customs data hub. “This would be a real game-changer to level the playing field for e-commerce players,” mentioned the Commissioner for Trade. (5/2/2025)