Managing the influx of substandard goods into the EU
On Wednesday, Parliament will table proposals to manage the growing influx into the EU of substandard and potentially dangerous cheap goods from non-EU webshops.
The draft report that MEPs will debate on Monday and vote on in plenary on Wednesday identifies ways to alleviate the pressure on customs authorities struggling to check the 12 million small e-commerce packages arriving in the EU every day, in an effort to ensure these goods are safe and comply with EU norms. Among other solutions, MEPs suggest convincing non-EU traders to ship their items to customers from warehouses inside the Union, as checking the bulk import of non-EU goods into EU-based warehouses would be easier. They also want to supress the €150 threshold for the current customs duty exemption and encourage the uptake of digital solutions, such as AI and block chain technologies.
Regarding a Commission proposal to impose a €2 handling fee for individual e-commerce packages from outside the EU, announced in the communication on e-commerce, MEPs want the Commission to verify that this amount is proportionate and compliant with WTO rules, and to make sure that if a fee like this is introduced, it is not passed on to EU consumers.
These proposals may be discussed in the framework of the interinstitutional negotiations on the Customs Code reform, starting on 8 July.
Debate: Monday 7 July
Vote: Wednesday 9 July
Procedure: own-initiative report