Custom reform: ending the flood
Today the European Parliament plenary debates the result of the EU's custom reform. The vote will take place on Wednesday. Europe is regaining control over its e-commerce borders.
Context. Europe is swamped with e-commerce parcels. Last year, 5.8 billions low value parcel enter the EU. Most of them from China. Many of which are unsafe, subject to little or no effective controls, and sold at prices European businesses simply cannot compete with.
Jeannette Baljeu (Netherlands/VVD), who negotiated the file for Renew Europe said :
“Billions of parcels from platforms such as Temu and Shein enter Europe without proper checks, while European businesses that play by the rules are left to pick up the bill. That had to change.”
Jeannette BaljeuRenew Europe MEP, Netherlands, Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie
Tougher rules
The reform will change the way goods enter Europe. Instead of millions of individual parcels being shipped directly to consumers, the new system will encourage greater use of bulk shipments. At the same time, a European handling fee will be introduced for individual parcels entering the EU from abroad. Companies that comply with the rules and use controlled bulk imports through European warehouses will benefit from a lower fee, while those that continue to rely on individual shipments will pay more.
Jeannette Baljeu says:
“We reward companies that do things properly and hold the rest accountable. Those that continue to send millions of individual parcels while circumventing the rules will have to pay for it.”
Jeannette BaljeuRenew Europe MEP, Netherlands, Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie
A more modern system
Customs controls themselves will also be modernised. Through a European Customs Data Hub, information on shipments will be analysed in advance and shared between Member States. This will allow customs authorities to identify risks earlier and intervene before unsafe or non-compliant products enter the European market.
Jeannette Baljeu concludes :
“We are moving away from cleaning up mess after it’s happened to preventing problems beforehand. If, for example, a shipment systematically contains incorrect or incomplete information, customs authorities will be able to go beyond stopping a single parcel and block an entire shipment. The reform is arming our custom officers in ports and airports to end the flood”.
Jeannette BaljeuRenew Europe MEP, Netherlands, Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie