Over the years, we've been so grateful to have customers across Europe — from Germany, France, the Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, Poland, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Austria, Sweden, Greece, Portugal, Hungary, Czech Republic, Malta, and Slovenia. You've been a wonderful part of our community and we truly value every one of you. 💛
Sadly, we have to share some difficult news. It has become impossible for a small (micro) business like ours to continue selling and shipping to EU countries, and we wanted to be completely transparent about why.
Two major regulatory changes have made this unworkable for us:
1. The removal of the €150 customs duty exemption — from 1st July 2026
Previously, small parcels valued under €150 entering the EU from non-EU countries (like the UK) were exempt from customs duties. From 1st July 2026, the EU removed this exemption. All imported goods — regardless of value — are now subject to customs duties.
The flat-rate duty is €3 per item, per tariff classification — meaning it applies to each different product type in a parcel, not per order. To give you a real example from our shop: if you ordered a practice board and a bespoke palette together, that would be €6 in duties before your parcel even leaves the UK. And here's where it gets even more frustrating — if we included a free practice board as a gift in your order, you as the customer would still be liable to pay the €3 duty on that item, even though it cost you nothing. There is no exemption for free or gifted items under this rule.
This makes it impossible for us to offer the little extras and gifts we love to include for our EU customers, and adds unexpected costs that we simply cannot absorb or ask you to pay on top of your order.
2. New EU packaging and product compliance laws (GPSR & Packaging Regulations)
The EU's General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) requires small businesses selling into the EU to appoint an official EU Responsible Person, meet strict product labelling and documentation requirements, and comply with packaging regulations — all in the official language of each country sold to.
On top of this, new EU packaging rules now require that at least 40% of the space inside any parcel must be filled with product. We are proud to say that we already pack carefully and conscientiously — our parcels are never full of unnecessary void fill or oversized boxes. However, some of our products — such as practice boards shipped in protective tubes — may technically fall foul of this rule simply due to the nature of the packaging required to keep them safe in transit. We cannot take that risk or that chance with our customers or our business.
And why has this rule come about? Once again, it is largely the fault of the large, fast-selling marketplace giants — we all know the ones. For years, these companies shipped single small items rattling around in enormous boxes, generating mountains of packaging waste across the EU. Small, conscientious businesses like ours have always packed thoughtfully and with care, yet it is we — the small independent sellers — who are now left carrying the compliance burden and cost of rules created because of their behaviour. It is deeply unfair, and we want you to know that every time a cheap, fast purchase is made from a large marketplace, it is small businesses like ours that ultimately pay the price.
The cost and administrative burden of meeting all of these requirements across multiple EU countries is simply not viable for a one-person micro business.
Where we can still ship 🌍
We are pleased to say that we can still ship to the following countries outside the EU:
- 🇳🇴 Norway
- 🇨🇭 Switzerland
- 🇮🇸 Iceland
- 🇬🇬 Guernsey
- 🇯🇪 Jersey
- 🇮🇲 Isle of Man
- 🇦🇺 Australia
- 🇨🇦 Canada
- 🇺🇸 United States
- 🇳🇿 New Zealand
- 🇭🇰 Hong Kong
- 🇿🇦 South Africa
- 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates
And of course, we continue to ship throughout the United Kingdom as always. 🇬🇧
Why has this happened?
These changes were largely driven by the explosion of ultra-fast fashion and mass-market platforms flooding the EU market and evading taxes, duties, and safety standards. The EU's response — while understandable — has unfortunately created a level of compliance burden that small, ethical, independent businesses simply cannot absorb. We are not the problem, but we are bearing the cost.
Please think carefully about where you spend your money. Every purchase from a small independent business matters more than you know. 💛
We are so sorry to lose you as EU customers. If anything changes in the future, you will be the first to know. In the meantime, please do stay connected with us here — we love sharing our work, tutorials, and updates with this community. 🎨
With love and gratitude,
Sally-Ann 💛
Sally Ann Lynch Training — Tried & Tested