- Most e-commerce goods shipped directly from third countries to the EU do not comply with EU product rules and safety standards; over half of checked toys and electronics failed standards, and 84% of tested products were found dangerous.
- The volume of small parcels entering the EU has surged due to e-commerce, with 4.6 billion packages in 2024 and a 36% increase in July 2025 compared to the previous year.
- Customs authorities, working with national market surveillance agencies, are struggling to keep up with the rapid growth in imports, as traditional control methods are inadequate for the scale of e-commerce shipments.
- The EU is reforming customs rules: from July 2026, all parcels will be subject to a €3 customs duty, and online platforms and sellers will be made responsible for ensuring compliance with EU customs and safety standards, shifting responsibility away from consumers and carriers.
Source: taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu
Note that this post was (partially) written with the help of AI. It is always useful to review the original source material, and where needed to obtain (local) advice from a specialist.
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