Source: European Parliament 2
B10‑0185/2026
European Parliament resolution on the protection of EU companies, jobs and products against unfair competition from non-EU countries
The European Parliament,
– having regard to Petitions Nos 0072/2025 and 0956/2025,
– having regard to Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 October 2013 laying down the Union Customs Code[1] and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/512 of 13 March 2025 on technical arrangements for developing, maintaining and employing electronic systems for the exchange and storage of information under Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council[2],
– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 October 2022 on a Single Market For Digital Services and amending Directive 2000/31/EC (Digital Services Act)[3],
– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2023/988 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 May 2023 on general product safety, amending Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Directive (EU) 2020/1828 of the European Parliament and the Council, and repealing Directive 2001/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Directive 87/357/EEC[4],
– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on market surveillance and compliance of products and amending Directive 2004/42/EC and Regulations (EC) No 765/2008 and (EU) No 305/2011[5],
– having regard to Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 setting out the requirements for accreditation and market surveillance relating to the marketing of products and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 339/93[6],
– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/3015 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2024 on prohibiting products made with forced labour on the Union market and amending Directive (EU) 2019/1937[7],
– having regard to the Commission communication of 5 February 2025 entitled ‘A comprehensive EU toolbox for safe and sustainable e-commerce’ (COM(2025)0037),
– having regard to its resolution of 9 July 2025 on product safety and regulatory compliance in e-commerce and non-EU imports[8],
– having regard to Rule 233(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas unfair competition from imports placed on the EU market may arise where products are sold at artificially low prices as a result of dumping, trade-distorting subsidies, structural overcapacity, regulatory asymmetries, including lower environmental, sustainability and labour standards, misleading commercial practices or the circumvention of applicable health and safety standards; whereas such practices go against the EU’s commitment to a fair and sustainable global trading system, undermine EU producers operating under high regulatory and sustainability requirements, and may cause substantial economic harm to strategic industrial ecosystems in the internal market while also negatively affecting consumers;
B. whereas recent disruptions in the global trading system risk diverting excess production to the EU market and distorting competitive conditions;
C. whereas state subsidies and industrial overcapacity in China in sectors such as steel, electronics and solar panels risk undercutting EU firms, making it increasingly difficult for EU producers to compete on price; whereas, as outlined by the Draghi report[9], China is already dominating global exports of clean technologies and is expected to maintain significant overcapacity in solar photovoltaic, battery cells and electric vehicles in the future, driven in part by state subsidies that are four times higher than in other major economies, coupled with low manufacturing costs;
D. whereas the Commission already has a range of trade-defence instruments at its disposal, including safeguard measures, which enable it to protect EU jobs and companies in cases of unfair competition, market distortion or dumping; whereas the EU has notably applied these measures to Chinese electric vehicles following findings of unfair state subsidisation;
E. whereas some non-EU online platforms are rapidly expanding in the EU market, in some cases benefiting from state support, offering goods at very low prices that undercut EU businesses, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), while placing on the market significant volumes of products that do not comply with EU safety, environmental and chemical standards, posing risks to consumers and causing economic harm;
F whereas such unfair competition is often linked to lower labour standards, weak environmental protection and violations of workers’ rights, contrary to the EU’s commitment to fair and sustainable trade and undermining the competitiveness and resilience of innovative EU micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) that comply with EU rules;
G. whereas the sharp growth in low-value e-commerce imports, notably facilitated by duty exemptions for shipments valued below EUR 150, largely coming from China, is placing significant pressure on customs and market-surveillance authorities, thereby limiting their capacity to effectively enforce EU rules on online sales;
H. whereas a growing number of goods imported into the EU through e-commerce channels fail to comply with EU safety, environmental or labour standards, thereby exposing consumers, particularly vulnerable users and minors, to unsafe or counterfeit products, causing economic harm, distorting fair competition and undermining trust in the single market, to the particular detriment of compliant EU businesses, notably SMEs that invest in quality, safety and sustainability;
I. whereas certain non-EU sellers are bypassing regulatory and administrative requirements when selling to EU consumers, creating an uneven playing field that negatively affects EU businesses, in particular SMEs and mid-cap companies, impacting their competitiveness and growth capacity, especially when those same obligations are not effectively enforced on imported products;
J. whereas the Draghi report highlighted that, compared to their competitors in China and the United States, EU companies face unnecessary regulatory complexity, and describes the EU’s bureaucracy as heavy and growing; whereas more than 60 % of EU companies view reporting obligations as an obstacle to investment, and 55 % of SMEs consider regulatory obstacles and administrative burdens their greatest challenge; whereas the EU lacks a quantitative framework to analyse the costs and benefits of new legislation;
K. whereas insufficient transparency regarding the origin of products entering the internal market undermines informed consumer choice and fair competition, and whereas there is currently no mandatory origin labelling for non-food products imported into the EU;
L. whereas consumers, particularly vulnerable or first-time online buyers, who are not provided with clear and reliable information on product origin, conformity and the responsible economic operator are at risk of being exposed to misleading practices by non-EU sellers;
M. whereas EU farmers are often exposed to competition from agricultural imports from non-EU countries where there are no equivalent environmental, phytosanitary or labour standards, or sufficient traceability; whereas this poses potential risks to public, plant and animal health, including from the spread of pests and diseases; whereas such practices undermine fair competition and directly threaten agricultural employment, food security and the viability of rural economies within the EU;
N. whereas the EU has begun to address unfair competition and regulatory gaps in e-commerce through legislation on digital platforms, product safety, market surveillance and customs reform; whereas the effective implementation of these measures is essential to safeguard EU competitiveness and jobs;
O. whereas Directive (EU) 2024/825 on empowering consumers for the green transition[10] strengthens protection against unfair commercial practices and improves information on sustainability aspects such as environmental impacts, energy use and the reparability and durability of products, including those sold via online marketplaces, and its swift and consistent implementation is essential to ensure informed consumer choice and fair competition;
1. Deplores the fact that unfair competition from non-EU country undertakings, including, in certain cases, those benefiting from heavy state subsidies, leads to a loss of EU jobs and poses a significant threat to European companies that are often SMEs and family-run businesses that foster the intergenerational transfer of skills, knowledge and capital; recalls that the Commission often receives applications for support from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers, which implies the dismissal of workers and the closure of EU companies due to their failure to compete with imports from non-EU countries that do not respect EU safety, environmental or labour standards;
2. Expresses serious concern about unfair competition from non-EU e-commerce platforms that exploit regulatory gaps, jeopardise consumer safety and distort the single market; calls for clearer rules on product origin, traceability and the identification of responsible economic operators, including stricter enforcement of the CE marking and definitions of ‘manufacturer’ and ‘importer’, to support fair competition for EU businesses, particularly SMEs;
3. Points out that the sharp increase in purchases made through non-EU online platforms has been accompanied by significant compliance challenges concerning product safety and conformity with internal market rules; stresses that these practices give an unfair advantage to non-EU platforms, putting pressure on EU undertakings, especially SMEs and micro-enterprises; points out that EU manufacturers face stricter market-surveillance requirements than non-EU e-commerce sellers; highlights that low-priced non-compliant imports reduce the EU’s market share and lead to job losses;
4. Recalls consumers’ right to reliable information about the origin of products and is of the opinion that most consumers in the internal market would find mandatory labelling of the country of origin useful in order to quickly make informed decisions about their purchases;
5. Believes that consistent and timely implementation of the EU’s regulatory acquis, applicable for both offline and online businesses, is key to address the serious, detrimental impact of non-compliant, unsafe and counterfeit products offered to consumers by non-EU companies; stresses the importance of enforcement tools, including adequate sanctions and the faster application of interim measures, especially in cases of repeated, serious and systemic breaches of EU law;
6. Highlights that customs and market-surveillance reform must address unfair commercial practices through the closure of regulatory gaps in the current legislative framework and explicitly supporting SMEs by reducing unnecessary administrative burdens, accelerating clearance procedures for compliant EU operators, and focusing resources on high-risk consignments from platforms or sellers that have committed repeated violations; stresses that SMEs should not be disadvantaged compared to large platforms or non-EU exporters;
7. Acknowledges the recent efforts by the Commission to reduce existing administrative burdens for EU companies; calls on the Commission to strengthen its efforts to improve the regulatory framework in order to avoid any detrimental effect on EU economic competitiveness and calls for continued efforts to support EU industry, technological sovereignty and employment;
8. Recommends reinforcement, better coordination and increased resources for customs and market-surveillance authorities, including targeted controls for high-risk product categories, investment in new tools (e.g. AI, blockchain), enhanced testing and the necessary staff training;
9. Welcomes the removal of the value added tax and customs duty exemption for low-value consignments recently agreed in the Council concerning parcels valued below EUR 150 that are sent from a non-EU country to a consumer in the EU; underlines the importance of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, with the support of customs authorities, in addressing customs offences in cross-border investigations, including those against fraudulent e-commerce declarations and undervaluation, as well as the avoidance of controls and ‘forum shopping’;
10. Emphasises that the swift implementation of the digital product passport (DPP), especially concerning a number of critical products sold online, is essential to strengthen the enforcement of current legislation; urges the Commission to adopt the necessary secondary legislation on the DPP without delay, especially for textiles, footwear, including those made using ‘eco-leather’, children’s products, cosmetics, electronics, and other products with high non-compliance rates and associated risks;
11. Calls on the Commission to protect EU companies against unfair competition from non-EU countries’ manufacturers, in order to keep jobs within the EU and to enhance strategic independence so as to be able to respond to any crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic; deplores the loss of jobs resulting from unfair competition from non-EU companies operating in breach of EU safety, environmental and labour standards, often facilitated by online platforms that enable the easier entry of non-compliant products into the EU market; stresses that product safety, particularly for children’s products, must remain a primary consideration;
12. Is alarmed by the fact that non-compliant sellers frequently evade meaningful sanctions; calls on the Commission and the Member States to step up the coordinated enforcement of current EU law, including fines and bans, across all sales channels, to ensure that unsafe or non-compliant goods are removed promptly and offenders sanctioned; emphasises that stronger enforcement is essential to prevent non-EU sellers from systematically undercutting compliant companies, particularly SMEs, which invest in compliance with the EU’s mandatory safety, sustainability and quality rules that non-EU sellers can circumvent;
13. Deplores the business model of some major non-EU online platforms based on the rapid, large-scale production and distribution of goods that are not compliant with EU safety and environmental standards; highlights that such practices constitute social and environmental dumping; calls on the Commission to ensure strict compliance with EU social and environmental legislation and to raise awareness about the environmental, health and social impacts of unfair business practices;
14. Stresses that online marketplaces must ensure transparency and accountability throughout the e-commerce import supply chain, including for third-party sellers targeting EU consumers, and ensure compliance with EU safety and product rules; expresses support for the concept of ‘deemed importer’, the use of which would ensure that products entering the EU comply with EU rules, even if the original exporter is outside the EU;
15. Underlines the importance of verifying seller identity and making available the required compliance information, including CE marking and the identification of a responsible economic operator established in the EU, and of removing without delay non-compliant or falsely labelled products; demands that platforms ensure full cooperation with competent authorities, including by providing relevant data on non-EU sellers and facilitating inspections, recalls and consumer redress; notes that fulfilment through EU-based centres can contribute to more effective controls;
16. Calls on the Commission to take proactive steps and swiftly use targeted trade-defence instruments, including anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations, to counter the adverse effects of unfair competition on EU retailers, SMEs and industry, as they cannot compete with artificially low prices arising from state-supported dumping practices in non-EU countries; calls on the Commission to ensure full support for complainants when evidence of dumping and subsidisation are presented, and to ensure simplified procedures for small producers;
17. Urges the Commission to accelerate customs reform, including by removing low-value import exemptions and introducing handling or clearance fees compatible with World Trade Organization rules; stresses that such fees should contribute to covering the increased supervisory costs of customs authorities; highlights the importance of an EU-level approach to avoid fragmentation and border shopping and ensure fair competition; underlines that enhanced customs reform, including improved monitoring tools and targeted controls, is essential to address unfair imports while safeguarding consumer rights and affordability; calls on the Commission to enhance targeted EU support measures for sectors heavily affected by unfair imports, such as access to EU funds, innovation support, skills development and export diversification programmes;
18. Calls for strengthened consumer-redress mechanisms allowing EU consumers to obtain refunds, replacements or remedies for unsafe or non-compliant goods purchased from non-EU sellers; supports the creation of an easy-to-use EU online consumer complaint interface available in all EU languages, ensuring that citizens can act quickly when their rights are violated; encourages the development of an EU-wide awareness campaign promoting responsible consumption and EU-made products, highlighting their social, environmental and safety advantages, while encouraging the Commission to strengthen its support for insular regions, making it possible for such regions to access EU products;
19. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and the national governments and parliaments of the Member States.