Dutch urged to wait and see on parcel surcharge after EU moves

The Dutch government’s most senior advisory body has urged ministers not to rush into making parcels from outside the European Union more expensive, warning that planned European measures could make a national levy unnecessary.

In its advice, the Council of State urged the cabinet to “pause” on its plans to impose a €2 charge on every item in a parcel worth less than €150. Parcels worth  less than that are currently exempt from import charges.

Belgium and France plan to introduce a €2 handling fee from early 2026, which could lead to more parcels being routed through the Netherlands and the Dutch government said earlier this month it wants to introduce a similar charge.

The European Union was already planning to scrap the exemption for low-value parcels. Although this was originally scheduled for 2028, EU finance ministers have brought the date forward to 1 July 2026.

The Council of State has now advised the government to wait until it is clear whether the EU plans will be brought forward.  “It could well be that a handling fee is no longer necessary,” a spokesman told news website Nu.nl.

The council also warned that, given existing European and national legislation, a national handling fee would be “legally vulnerable”. Significant financial interests are involved and legal challenges are likely, the agency said.

The Dutch fee would generate some €2 billion, of which a large part would go to the Dutch treasury, NOS said earlier this month. The real aim, however, is to reduce the popularity of Chinese webshops and protect Dutch outlets.

EU research suggests up to 65% of small parcels entering the EU are undervalued and avoid duties.