The EU goals to curb the inflow of unsafe merchandise getting into the European market through ecommerce platforms akin to Temu, Shein, and Amazon. Brussels needs to make these platforms responsible for harmful or unlawful merchandise bought on-line. There are additionally plans to determine a brand new EU customs authority.
The European Union is grappling with the big volumes of merchandise arriving from Asia. The variety of imported lower-value parcels reached 4.6 billion final 12 months, 4 occasions as many as in 2022. The overwhelming majority of those packages (over 90 p.c) got here from China. Most of the gadgets fail to satisfy the EU’s product security necessities. This not solely poses dangers to customers and the surroundings but in addition undermines the aggressive place of on-line sellers inside the Union.
Most merchandise fail to satisfy rules
Over 85 p.c of merchandise from Chinese language platforms fail to satisfy rules, in accordance with a current inspection by European market surveillance authorities. Nonetheless, regulators lack the capability to implement current guidelines on client safety, product security, and counterfeit items.
Lack of capability to implement EU guidelines
The present move of parcels is unmanageable, in accordance with a current open letter from Dutch regulators – since many merchandise enter the EU via the Netherlands. To handle this, Brussels is engaged on customs reforms, stories the Monetary Instances, which has reviewed a draft legislative proposal.
Platforms held liable
Proposed customs reforms would require on-line platforms to supply knowledge earlier than items arrive within the EU, the place most prime on-line sellers are usually not European. This might enable officers to raised management and examine packages shipped straight from Asia to European prospects.
As a substitute of customers, platforms will likely be seen as importers of merchandise
Presently, any particular person within the EU who purchases items on-line is handled because the importer for customs functions. Beneath the proposed reforms, this accountability would shift to the platforms. On-line retailers can be required to “accumulate the related obligation and VAT” and “make sure the compliance of the products with different EU necessities”.
EU customs authority
Beneath the reforms, Customs knowledge from the 27 nationwide authorities will likely be pooled, and a brand new central EU customs authority (EUCA) will likely be established, in accordance with the draft. The proposal additionally contains the elimination of the present 150 euros threshold for import duties, which EU regulators had beforehand mentioned and plan to implement by 2028.