On July 20, 2026, the EU Commission published its Report on controls on products entering the EU market(Report). The Report is based on the 2025 EU product compliance review. The report, which focuses on 2025, outlines the growing pressure the EU customs authorities are facing, primarily driven by the rapid growth in e-commerce imports from outside the EU.
The report shows the EU customs efforts to protect the Common Market from non-compliant products; however, it emphasizes the major weaknesses of the current system, which cannot properly address most of the issues caused by the influx of over 6 billion low-value parcels coming from outside the EU only in 2025.
On the same day, the Commission also updated its Integrated EU Prohibitions & Restrictions List, its a technical/legal tool that simplifies the identification of EU rules applicable to banned or restricted goods entering or leaving the EU.
This tool acts as a source of guidance for businesses and customs authorities by reflecting changes in the applicable legal framework.
Report on controls on products entering the EU market
The Report clearly indicates the growing difficulties that EU Customs authorities are facing with multiple tasks conferred on them. Starting with customs administration(collection of taxes and duties), through market surveillance(enforcement of restrictions and prohibitions), the Report shows that Customs are overwhelmed and in need of different updates to the current system.
The major root cause for these challenges is the influx of low-value parcels. This Report, and other data-supported reports, show that more than 6 billion parcels have been released in free circulation in the EU in 2025. This is almost three times more than in 2022.
As a response to this influx of low-value parcels, customs carried out 387,588 interventions, suspended 205,888 consignments for referral to market surveillance authorities, and ultimately refused 58,391 consignments as non-compliant or dangerous.
Due to the lack of resources, the Customs enforcement numbers are significantly lower in %, than in previous years. The control rate fell to 65 interventions per million items (from 82 in 2024 and 203 in 2022), the suspension rate to 34 per million, and the discovery rate to below 10 refusals per million.
There are significant gaps between the enforcement results across the Union. The leading performer recorded a discovery rate 384 times higher than the Member State ranked last in this comparison.
Product Compliance
The broad-based Priority Control Area(Commission product compliance tool) investigation found that over 60% of checked children’s toys, small electronics, cosmetics, personal protective equipment, and dietary supplements purchased online(imported) outside the EU are not compliant with the EU product compliance standards.