EU member states back customs overhaul
EU governments have given final approval for an overhaul of the union’s customs framework that will include a new handling fee on small parcels.
The EU Council says that the fee is aimed at helping to cover the rising costs of monitoring the growing number of small parcels entering the EU through online e-commerce platforms.
The new handling fee will be introduced by 1 November, with the European Commission setting the level. Reports have suggested that the charge will be around €2.
The handling fee is separate from the earlier decision to remove the historical customs-duty exemption for non-EU imports valued at less than €150, which led to a charge of €3 per item being introduced earlier this year.
Platforms’ responsibility
The European Parliament is expected to approve the final text of the customs legislation later this month.
Other measures in the updated EU customs code include clarification that non-EU e-commerce platforms will be considered the goods’ importer when selling into the EU.
They will, therefore, be responsible for ensuring that all customs formalities and duty payments are handled, rather than the final EU consumer.
The legislation also includes a new system of penalties for e-commerce operators that fail to fulfil their customs obligations, such as making sure that EU standards are upheld and appropriate duty paid.
The most serious cases of non-compliance may incur fines of up to 6% of the company’s annual import value of goods in the preceding year, the removal of certain customs privileges, and access restrictions to online platforms.
Data hub
The text also establishes a new decentralised EU agency for customs to co-ordinate governance of the customs union.
The agency will analyse constantly updated import and export data contained in a new EU customs data hub.
This measure is aimed at member states to identify the riskiest cargo that should be prioritised for inspection.
The legislation also creates a category for “the most transparent businesses” – ‘trust and check traders’, who will benefit from simplified customs procedures.