The European Union is facing significant challenges in the area of e-commerce, praticularly with regard to the direct import of products from third countries. Last year, around 4.6 billion low-value consignments (i.e. goods with a value not exceeding €150) entered the EU market - equivalent to 12 million parcels per day. This is twice as many as in 2023 and three times as many as in 2022. A large share of these goods does not comply  with EU legislation: many are unsafe, poorly manufactured and yet reach consumers without effective controls. Since non-compliant products are often cheaper to produce, European economic operators who comply with EU standards face unfair competition – which, in the long term, erodes the position of rule-abiding businesses in the internal market.