The European Commission today published a proposal to improve customs controls. This could help tackle the many challenges authorities face in checking the surge in e-commerce parcels entering the EU for dangerous or non-compliant products. While consumers expect and may think all imports are safe and comply with EU standards, the reality is more complicated.

According to new statistics, 2,117 notifications were made to Safety Gate – the EU’s rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products – in 2022.

BEUC and the Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD) – a network of 77 consumer and digital rights organisations – are concerned about the EU-US ‘joint roadmap’ on artificial intelligence (AI) developed as part of the Trade and Technology Council. Ahead of a public event focused on the roadmap today (16/02), we are calling on policymakers to make sure the roadmap does not interfere with how AI is regulated in either the EU or US.

The US Executive Order published today, which lays the ground for the new EU-US data transfer agreement, is likely still insufficient to protect Europeans’ privacy and personal data when it crosses the Atlantic. The data in question ranges from consumers’ photos to their emails or phone numbers.