EU Commission’s Plan to Introduce a Levy on Non-EU Direct Deliveries Sparks Greenpeace’s Call for Stricter Import Controls
In response to the European Commission’s proposal to impose a flat rate of up to two euros per package on direct deliveries from non-EU countries, the environmental organization Greenpeace has called for strengthened import controls to effectively protect consumers and the environment from harmful products.
“We need more than just a package levy to protect consumers and the environment from hazardous and toxic products” said Moritz Jäger-Roschko, Greenpeace expert on plastic and circular economy, on Wednesday. “The EU should significantly expand its import controls to ensure that products comply with existing chemical regulations and safety standards.”
According to Jäger-Roschko, the platforms must be held accountable for their products and the EU must develop mechanisms to temporarily suspend them in case of repeated violations of the law. “The EU must create a system that allows for the temporary blocking of these platforms in the event of repeated law violations” he emphasized.
Greenpeace also criticized low-cost platforms for wasting resources, saying they aggressively market products and drive them to dump prices in the European market. To break the destructive cycle of overconsumption and disposable goods, Greenpeace is calling for a clear ban on fast fashion and fast consumption advertising. “They promote products aggressively and drive them to dump prices in the European market. To break the destructive cycle of overconsumption and disposable goods, we need a clear ban on fast fashion and fast consumption advertising” Jäger-Roschko said.