Overview
- EU finance ministers reached a political agreement to scrap the €150 de minimis threshold next year so all parcels entering the bloc are charged duties and import VAT.
- Member states tasked the Council and Commission with designing a simple transitional system for 2026–2028 until the new EU customs data platform comes online.
- Commission data show more than 4.6 billion sub‑€150 parcels arrived in 2024 and 91% originated in China, reflecting an e‑commerce surge.
- The reform targets widespread evasion tactics such as undervaluation and parcel splitting, with a Commission estimate that up to 65% of small packages are declared below their true value.
- The Commission has proposed a €2 per‑package handling fee as talks continue on enforcement, consumer safety risks and creating a level playing field for EU businesses.