Due to the enormous expansion of e-commerce, European customs authorities are able to inspect fewer and fewer incoming parcels for compliance with European standards, according to a new report from the European Commission published on Thursday.
First, the good news: Member State customs authorities are conducting more checks than before: the number rose from 305,143 in 2022 to 392,529 in 2024.
They are also intercepting more and more products that violate European regulations: in 2022, 29,798 products were intercepted at European borders, compared to 64,322 last year. China has been the main country of origin for all these years. Healthcare products were the main product category.
However, the influx of parcels has increased by a much greater amount than the number of checks. Last year, the Commission counted a staggering 4.7 billion incoming items – 353% more than in 2022.
While 203 in every million products were checked at the time, that number dropped to 82 per million last year. Ultimately, 13 items out of every million were rejected because they did not comply with European regulations or were considered dangerous (20 in 2022).
Weakest point
According to the report, the situation also varies greatly between Member States. The top performer intercepted 175 products out of every million, while the bottom performer intercepted barely 0.1 items. The Commission declined to disclose which country carries out the fewest checks. "All rogue traders would immediately divert their items to the weakest point."
In response to the report, the Commission is now issuing a new call for increased checks. It has already convened a meeting with senior officials from customs services to this end. The report also highlights the importance of digitalisation and improved cooperation with market surveillance authorities, which are often called in when suspicious packages are detected.
Finally, the Commission also strongly believes that the future European Customs Authority and data hub will bring added value in terms of risk analysis and communication with other agencies.
The Authority and Hub are part of a large-scale reform of the European Customs Union currently being negotiated by the Member States and the European Parliament.
