Brussels –A three-euro duty on small parcels sent within the European Union is about to take effect. The temporary measure will come into force the day after tomorrow, 1 July, and, for two years (until July 2028), it will remove the duty-free allowance that previously exempted parcels from non-EU countries worth less than 150 euros from customs duties. Described by a European official as “a facilitation measure”, the tax will be applied to any item purchased online and sent directly to consumers, regardless of its value, at the time of import. If different but similar products are purchased, the customs code will determine whether they belong to the same category and, therefore, whether a duty will be levied. In most cases, it will be the platforms, online sellers, or any other company involved in the sale and transport of the imported goods that will pay the duties, while consumers who shop online are not legally liable for paying them. The flat-rate duty applies per item, so if you buy three items (a pair of shoes, a dress, an umbrella), the duty will be nine euros. As for collection, however, the EU will rely on the Member States’ IT systems until a temporary ad hoc system is set up.
The reasons behind the Commission’s decision lies in the safety risks, given that in 2025, over 60 per cent of items purchased online – cosmetics, electronics, toys and food supplements – did not meet EU product compliance standards; the decline in the retail sector and the resulting impact on local employment and community life; the commitment to the environment, given that excessive consumption, excessive packaging, waste, non-recyclable materials, and carbon-intensive logistics – with frequent returns and long-distance shipments – double transport-related pollution.
But for Brussels, it is above all a measure to restore the trade balance. “We will impose a customs duty of three euros on parcels entering the EU for two main reasons: to ensure a level playing field, on the one hand, and to provide customs authorities with the necessary tools to tackle, monitor, and, where necessary, remove dangerous products from the market,” the EU official explained. In short, it is a matter of “fairness” and of “applying the same rules to our businesses and to goods entering our territory and sold online.” In other words, “we must restore the situation to normal,” a European official reiterated, emphasising that the absence of duties on much of what arrives in Europe represents an “abnormal situation” because “the exemption dates back to a time before the international e-commerce boom and to a period when customs declaration procedures were far less digitised than they are today.” For this reason, “it is no longer justified.”
In 2025, 5.9 billion items entered the EU from third countries without paying customs duties, in the form of “low-value parcels,” accounting for over 97 per cent of the total value of imports. Of these, 16 million are cleared through customs every day. “Every year, the number of consignments doubles,” a European official noted, with “customs under severe strain.” Not only that, but by maintaining the exemption, “we have essentially encouraged this trade,” and now “we will be abolishing it, as many other countries around the world are doing.” Among the countries taking action in this direction are the United States and the United Kingdom, so we are witnessing “a global trend towards tackling this problem.” Member States that introduced comparable measures must suspend them after 1 July, as customs policy falls under the Commission’s exclusive competence.
In addition to the exemption, the Commission is working on a handling fee which is not “a tariff measure such as a duty,” but a means of offsetting the increased costs incurred by the customs authorities. At present, the decision on the amount to be levied has been postponed until next month.
The measure, which will come into force the day after tomorrow, forms part of the customs reform proposed by the Commission in February 2023. Between November and December 2025, the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (Ecofin) – which brings together the finance ministers of the 27 Member States – decided to abolish the exemption and to apply the three-euro customs duty, which will come into force on 1 July, following consultations and preparatory work with Member States and stakeholders.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
