EU Parliament wants tough customs checks on non-EU e-com platforms

The resolution links the controversy to inadequate enforcement of existing rules, urging the European Commission and member states to move from discussion to strict implementation of the Digital Services Act and the General Product Safety Regulation. Parliament considers the incident a serious breach of EU law, warning that delayed intervention leaves consumers exposed to illegal and unsafe goods.

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) criticised slow EU investigations that can last months or years, insisting that platforms like Shein, Temu, AliExpress, and Wish should face temporary suspension when they repeatedly breach EU law. They argued that suspension should no longer be viewed as a last-resort measure but deployed proactively in cases of serious or systemic violation, the Parliament said in a press release.

Lawmakers expressed concern over high volumes of non-compliant parcels entering the EU from low-cost platforms, claiming their business models encourage excessive consumption, underpaid labour, unsafe products, copying of designers’ work, and mounting textile waste. To counter this, Parliament urged significant funding increases for customs and market surveillance authorities and proposed a harmonised EU-level handling fee to cover supervisory costs.

The resolution also calls for tougher sanctions, a faster rollout of the updated Union Customs Code, and new regulatory obligations to ensure platforms are held accountable for non-compliant goods entering the EU market.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (KD)