EU approves new rules for online shopping and small parcels, with handling fee due by November 2026

A major overhaul of the European Union’s customs system will change how online purchases and small parcels entering the bloc are handled. The reform introduces a new handling fee expected to apply across the EU by Nov. 1, 2026.

The EU Council, representing the 27 member states, gave final approval on Sept. 3. The changes aim to modernize customs procedures, improve duty collection and strengthen checks on goods that breach European rules or are considered dangerous.

Under the new EU customs code, e-commerce platforms based outside the bloc will be treated as the importers of the products they sell to European customers. Responsibility for customs procedures and payment of duties will therefore shift from individual consumers to the platforms themselves.

The reform also creates penalties for online businesses that fail to meet customs obligations, including European standards and duty payments. In the most serious cases, fines could reach 6% of a company’s import value from the previous year. Authorities could also withdraw customs privileges or restrict access to online platforms.

The amount of the new small-parcel handling fee has not yet been decided. The European Commission is expected to set it before the measure takes effect. The fee is separate from the Council’s decision to end the customs-duty exemption for imports worth less than 150 euros.

The reform will also establish the European Customs Authority, or EUCA, a decentralized agency headquartered in Lille, France. It is expected to begin operating in 2027 and will coordinate the customs union, using a new European customs data hub to analyze import and export information.