Benelux, Economy, Safety

Benelux launches cooperation to strengthen online marketplace supervision

24 Feb. 2026

Representatives from the Ministries of Economy of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg met for the first time for a kick‑off meeting on e‑commerce in the Benelux. The aim of the meeting is to ensure that products are safe and compliant with regulations, and that consumers are protected from unsafe or non‑compliant goods.

During the meeting, the delegations presented their national market surveillance strategies and discussed the upcoming revision of EU legislation, including the New Legislative Framework, which sets the basic rules for product safety in Europe, as well as the Market Surveillance Regulation.

The Benelux countries are seeing a significant increase in parcels from online trade, particularly from countries outside the EU. This trend brings challenges such as unfair commercial practices, large‑scale fraud and the risk of unsafe products. Through closer cooperation, the countries aim to remove these products from the market more quickly and better safeguard consumer safety.

The kick‑off meeting marks the start of an intensive trajectory to make e‑commerce safer and more transparent within the Benelux. With this cooperation, the Benelux countries aim to ensure that online shopping becomes safer and fairer for everyone.