In terms of the safety of imported products, 2026 looks set to be a similar year to 2025. The results of a new EU-wide customs operation show once again that most goods shipped from third countries do not comply with European safety rules and standards (see EUROPE 13697/8).
More than half of the 20,000 toys and small electronic appliances inspected between April and June 2025 did not comply. The Member States have concentrated their controls on the four main sellers accounting for more than 90% of small parcels entering the EU: Shein, Temu, AliExpress and Amazon.
Beyond the statistical data, these parcels are overwhelming European customs, which do not have the technical and human capacity to keep pace. One problem hides another: the entry into Europe of illegal products that are dangerous to health and public order. Proof of this is the recent scandal involving child pornography dolls sold on the Shein platform, which shook France last November (see EUROPE 13760/16).
In an attempt to stem the flow of parcels, European ministers decided in mid-December to introduce a flat-rate customs duty of €3 on small packages worth less than €150 (see EUROPE 13772/1).
This first step is intended to be a temporary solution, pending implementation of the reform of the Customs Code and, in particular, the EU DataHub.
See results: https://aeur.eu/f/k70 (Original version in French by Isalia Stieffatre)