European Commission drafts centralised crackdown on unsafe online imports

A new enforcement architecture

The European Commission is preparing legislation intended to close enforcement gaps that allow unsafe or otherwise non-compliant products sold online to enter the European Union, according to a draft obtained by Euronews. The European Product Act is scheduled for publication on October 6. Although the text does not name China, its practical focus includes the rapid growth of low-value shipments from Chinese marketplaces such as Temu and Shein.

Responsibility inside the EU

The draft would require every imported product to have an economic operator established in the EU who is legally responsible for compliance. Where a marketplace places a product on the market, it would have to verify a Digital Product Passport or equivalent manufacturer record. After receiving a valid notice, the platform would be required to remove a non-compliant listing and prevent the same product from reappearing.

Platforms could inherit liability

A marketplace that fails its verification or removal duties could be required to assume the obligations normally carried by an authorised representative when no responsible EU-based operator exists. That would shift the system away from enforcement aimed solely at distant sellers. The proposal also gives the Commission power to investigate and impose corrective measures when suspected products are spread across at least two-thirds of member states and national authorities have not opened an investigation.

A fee for market surveillance

The draft introduces an EU market-surveillance fee on goods entering from third countries, calibrated to the estimated cost of enforcement. Bulk imports would face a lower charge than individually shipped parcels. The fee would be separate from the temporary customs duty already imposed on low-value parcels. Official EU data show the scale behind the change: about six billion items entered free circulation in 2025, three times the 2022 volume, while coordinated checks found widespread non-compliance among goods shipped directly to consumers.

From infrastructure to legislation

The Commission launched its Digital Product Passport registry in July, giving authorities infrastructure for registering identifiers and compliance metadata. An earlier official answer to the European Parliament also said the planned Product Act would tighten accountability for foreign manufacturers' representatives and consider EU-level surveillance where national action was insufficient. The October proposal will reveal the final scope, fee design and division of powers. Member states and the European Parliament must then negotiate the law, so none of the leaked provisions is yet binding.