The European Parliament and Council have agreed on a comprehensive reform of the EU Customs Code aimed at tackling the surge in e‑commerce parcels. Key measures include a new handling fee for individual parcels from non‑EU countries, treating e‑commerce platforms as importers, a new EU Customs Authority in Lille, and a customs data hub to be mandatory by 2034.
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Key Takeaways
The fee will be collected no later than 1 November 2026, once the required IT system is operational.
Sellers and platforms that facilitate distance sales of goods from non‑EU countries directly to EU customers will be treated as importers.
Companies may be fined 1–6 % of the total value of goods imported in the previous 12 months, and their trusted trader or AEO status may be suspended or revoked.
The new EU Customs Authority in Lille, France, will be fully operational immediately upon establishment.
Primary source
Read the full article at European ParliamentThis summary was published on VATfaqs.com on 27 March 2026. It relates to VAT developments in European Union. The original source is European Parliament.
