Stronger customs controls and cooperation on product compliance are needed to better protect EU citizens and businesses
A European Commission report about customs controls on product compliance at the EU’s external borders recognises the efforts of customs authorities while highlighting the need for improved customs controls and cooperation, in particular to deal with the rapid growth of e-commerce. Imported products, including those purchased online, unfortunately, do not always comply with EU rules regarding safety, security, or environmental standards. This creates risks for EU citizens and businesses.
The EU is addressing the challenges of non-compliant imports and e-commerce growth through the proposed EU Customs Reform, which aims to establish a new EU Customs Authority and Data Hub to strengthen risk management, enhance cooperation between customs and market surveillance authorities, and modernize enforcement of product compliance rules.
The report helps the Commission and Member States to better understand the challenges customs face in controlling product compliance and to identify measures to further improve the enforcement of EU rules.
