For the first time in eight years, the European Parliament sent a delegation to Beijing. This is an investigation into dangerous products, thousands of which reach European markets.
In 2025, the EU's Safety Gate early warning system registered 4,671 warnings about dangerous products that entered the EU market, of which over 2,000. from China. The most frequently reported categories were: cosmetics, children's toys and electrical equipment.
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EU consumer organizations are warning that things could get even worse in the future as imports from China into the EU have surged via e-commerce platforms such as Temu, Shein and Alibaba. In 2024 alone, 4.6 billion small parcels entered the EU market, 91% of which shipped from China.
Chinese goods often do not meet EU safety standards. — We're talking about toys that children can choke on, cosmetics that cause rashes, and chargers that shock users with electricity. All these products usually enter the EU through online platforms, emphasized Agustin Reina, director general of the EU consumer organization BEUC, in a statement.
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The organizations called on the EU to take urgent action, including blocking goods before they reach EU consumers. In September, the European Commission is to present a draft law on products. One of the options being considered is the creation of an EU market surveillance authority that would monitor compliance with the law by Chinese entities. Moreover, from July 1 this year rules will come into force in the EU imposing temporary customs duties of EUR 3 on small parcels sent to the EU from third countries.
The EC is currently conducting, among others, investigations into the use of addictive functionalities by the Temu and Shein platforms, including pop-up notifications and reward systems for users. In February, it also launched a formal investigation against the Shein platform for selling illegal products, including sex dolls that look like children.
A delegation of the European Parliament also visited China for the first time in eight years. A group of MEPs from the European Parliament's Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO) visited Beijing and Shanghai to meet with Chinese authorities and “e-commerce giants” such as Temu, Shein and Alibaba. A representative of Poland, PiS MEP Piotr Mueller, also took part in it.
— Our priority is to protect European consumers and ensure fair competition. We want to make sure that goods arriving in the EU meet our standards, said the politician, quoted by PAP.
