Source: European Parliament
The Commission is acting to address the challenges of e-commerce platforms to ensure safety and security, EU sustainable standards and a level playing field within the Single Market .
In May 2023, it published the Customs Reform package[1] that contains three separate legal proposals: the main regulation that replaces the current Union Customs Code, and establishes the EU Customs Authority, a regulation that removes the 150 duty exemption, and introducing a simplified tariff treatment for low-value consignments and a directive as regards value added tax rules relating to a special scheme for distance sales of goods imported from third countries.
The proposal is currently under discussion in the Council while the European Parliament adopted its first reading position in March 2024.
Moreover, the Commission opened two formal proceedings (against AliExpress in March 2024[2] and Temu in October 2024[3]), following the suspicion that the providers of these very large online platforms (VLOPs) may have breached the Digital Services Act (DSA)[4], notably in areas linked to the management and mitigation of the systemic risks of dissemination of illegal content .
Depending on the findings and the investigations’ outcome, the Commission will take the appropriate actions. If it definitely establishes a breach of the DSA, the Commission may adopt a decision imposing fines up to 6% of the global turnover of the VLOP provider concerned and order the provider to take measures to address the breach by a certain deadline.
Furthermore, the Commission is working with the Member States’ authorities to support EU law enforcement and better target controls on e-commerce transactions, encouraging cooperation between the different national enforcement authorities.
- [1] Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Union Customs Code and the European Union Customs Authority, and repealing Regulation (EU) No 952/2013.
- [2] See the Commission decision initiating proceedings and https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_24_1485
- [3] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-opens-formal-proceedings-against-temu-under-digital-services-act
- [4] Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 October 2022 on a Single Market For Digital Services and amending Directive 2000/31/EC (Digital Services Act).