EU Blocks Record Numbers of Unsafe Products: What Portuguese Online Shoppers Must Know

The European Commission has confirmed that member state authorities flagged a record-breaking 4,671 dangerous products in 2025 through the Safety Gate alert system, a 13% jump from the previous year and more than double the volume recorded in 2022. For anyone living in Portugal, where cross-border e-commerce parcels have surged, this escalation signals both improved enforcement and a fundamental shift in how unsafe goods—from tainted cosmetics to defective toys—reach European consumers.

Why This Matters:

• Chemical hazards accounted for 53% of all alerts, with banned substances in cosmetics and personal care items posing reproductive and allergy risks.

• Online shopping from outside the EU is the primary vector: 65% of cosmetics and 60% of personal protective equipment inspected in the final quarter failed EU safety standards.

• New customs duties starting July 1, 2026, will eliminate the €150 duty-free threshold, triggering a provisional €3 charge per low-value parcel and intensifying border checks.

• Record enforcement actions—5,794 follow-up measures in 2025, up 35% year-on-year—demonstrate that surveillance authorities across the European Economic Area are tightening the net.

Cosmetics, Toys, and Electrical Goods Top the Risk List

Cosmetics alone generated 36% of 2025's alerts, driven overwhelmingly by the presence of BMHCA (Lilial), a synthetic fragrance banned under EU regulation for its potential to harm reproductive health and cause skin irritation. Nearly eight out of every ten cosmetic alerts flagged Lilial contamination. For the first time, national inspectors also reported nail varnish containing TPO, another prohibited chemical linked to prenatal risk and allergic reactions.

Toys followed at 16% of notifications. Beyond chemical hazards, choking risks accounted for 9% of all alerts, particularly in products designed for young children. In April 2025, EU lawmakers agreed to stricter toy-safety rules that ban PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), endocrine disruptors, and bisphenols, and mandate a Digital Product Passport to streamline traceability.

Electrical appliances and equipment rounded out the top three at 11%, with defective components frequently causing electric shock or fire hazards. The prevalence of online marketplaces selling non-compliant chargers, heating devices, and power adapters underscores the challenge facing Portuguese customs and market-surveillance officers.

China Remains the Dominant Source, E-Commerce the Gateway

Inspection data reveals that 63% of non-compliant products purchased online and shipped directly to EU consumers originated in China. The United Kingdom and the United States together accounted for 93% of irregularities in a separate category of cross-border purchases. In 2025, parcel volumes soared to 5.8 billion small packages entering the EU, a 25% increase over 2024, amplifying the scale of the enforcement challenge.

Between October and December 2025, authorities inspected 11,338 parcels. The failure rate was stark: 65% of cosmetics and 60% of personal protective equipment did not meet EU labeling and safety norms. This pattern reflects a business model in which overseas sellers bypass traditional import channels, ship directly to consumers, and often operate with minimal accountability.

General Product Safety Regulation Turbocharges Surveillance

The surge in alerts and follow-up actions is not coincidental. The General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), in force since December 13, 2024, replaced the aging General Product Safety Directive and extends compliance obligations to digital, hybrid, and software-based products sold online—whether new, used, or refurbished.

Under the GPSR, every product placed on the EU market must have a "responsible person" established within the union. This entity becomes the primary point of contact for regulators and consumers, closing a loophole that previously shielded remote sellers. Economic operators—manufacturers, importers, authorized representatives, and fulfillment service providers—now face stricter risk-assessment requirements across a product's lifecycle.

National market-surveillance authorities gained expanded inspection powers, and the regulation mandates that companies use the Safety Business Gateway to notify officials of dangerous products or accidents. Businesses must also be capable of alerting consumers directly when recalls or safety warnings are issued.

What This Means for Residents

For Portuguese consumers, the practical implications are immediate. First, any cosmetics, toys, or electrical goods purchased from non-EU online platforms carry a materially higher risk of containing banned chemicals or failing basic safety tests. The Portuguese customs and tax authority—Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira—has already demonstrated increased enforcement muscle: in 2024, it seized nearly €27 M in counterfeit goods, double the prior year's haul, even as the number of individual seizures remained roughly flat.

Second, the abolition of the €150 duty-free threshold on July 1, 2026, will result in a provisional €3 customs charge per low-value e-commerce item from outside the EU. While the fee is modest, the administrative friction and longer clearance times may shift purchasing behavior back toward EU-based retailers, where product liability is more transparent.

Third, the Digital Services Act (DSA), fully applicable since February 17, 2024, compels online marketplaces to verify trader identities and maintain traceability. This means platforms operating in Portugal—whether domestic or multinational—must systematically vet sellers, making it easier for authorities to track non-compliant goods back to their source.

Customs Reform and the Import Control System 2

The European Commission is rolling out a phased customs overhaul. The Import Control System 2 (ICS2) became fully operational for all transport modes on September 1, 2025, enabling pre-clearance risk analysis before parcels physically arrive on EU soil. Looking ahead, the commission plans to establish a new EU Customs Authority and an EU Customs Data Hub to centralize intelligence and coordinate enforcement.

This infrastructure upgrade aims to plug gaps exploited by direct-to-consumer shipments. By requiring advance electronic declarations and risk profiling, Portuguese customs officers can intercept dangerous goods earlier in the supply chain, reducing the burden on post-arrival inspections.

Broader Regulatory Roadmap: The European Product Act

The European Commission is consulting stakeholders on a comprehensive revision of the New Legislative Framework—the rulebook governing CE marking and market access—and the Market Surveillance Regulation. The goal is to streamline compliance, reduce administrative overhead, and harmonize enforcement across sectors. Both initiatives are expected to feed into a landmark European Product Act, slated for adoption in the third quarter of 2026.

This legislative package will likely codify stricter digital obligations, expand liability for fulfillment providers, and introduce sector-specific product passports. For businesses operating in Portugal, the message is clear: the era of lightly regulated cross-border e-commerce is ending.

Injury, Choking, and the Hidden Cost of Non-Compliance

Beyond chemical hazards, injury risk accounted for 14% of 2025 alerts, while choking hazards represented 9%. Many of these incidents involve small parts in toys, poorly designed protective gear, or electrical products with exposed wiring. The human cost is difficult to quantify, but the Safety Gate system exists precisely because unsafe products cause real harm—burns, poisoning, suffocation, and long-term health effects.

For Portuguese families with young children, the statistics underscore the importance of verifying that toys and childcare products carry the CE mark and originate from reputable EU-based suppliers. The digital passport initiative for toys, launched in 2025, will eventually enable parents to scan a code and access full safety and compliance documentation.

What to Do Next

Residents and businesses in Portugal should take several concrete steps. Consumers should scrutinize online sellers, especially those shipping from outside the EU, and favor platforms that transparently disclose the responsible person under the GPSR. If a product lacks clear origin labeling or a CE mark, report it through the Safety Business Gateway or the Portuguese market-surveillance authority.

Retailers and importers must ensure their supply chains comply with the new risk-assessment and traceability requirements. The window for adaptation is closing: enforcement actions jumped 35% in a single year, and the upcoming customs reforms will make non-compliance more visible and costly.

Finally, the shift toward digital product passports and mandatory pre-clearance data means that transparency is no longer optional. For Portugal-based e-commerce operators, investing in compliance infrastructure today will prevent enforcement headaches—and potential liability—tomorrow.