EU demands to punish Chinese internet platforms Temu and Shein
7 October 2024 16:07
Europe is extremely dissatisfied with the activities of the Chinese trading platforms Temu and Shein, which have recently become quite popular. In particular, six EU member states sent a letter to the European Commission: Germany, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, and Poland. In it, they demand tighter regulation of these online markets, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
Germany initiated the appeal to the EC and was supported by the other five countries.
“If violations are not rigorously detected and punished, it will harm consumers and create an imbalance with law-abiding suppliers. In order to ensure fair competition and consumer protection in the EU, it is crucial that manufacturers and e-commerce platforms, including those from third countries, strictly enforce applicable EU rules,”
– the letter says.
According to the Polish state news agency PAP, the main reason for the EU’s concern is that a significant portion of goods supplied through these platforms from non-EU countries do not meet European quality and safety standards.
In turn, this poses a potential threat to consumer rights and leads to unequal competition conditions for companies that strictly comply with EU legislation.
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The European Commission has already designated Temu and Shein as “very large online platforms”, which obliges them to comply with the provisions of the Digital Services Act (DSA), which aims to combat the distribution of illegal goods online. Therefore, EU member states insist on strict compliance with these rules and call for the collection of data on possible violations.
These platforms are also accused of selling fakes and goods without proper certification. This situation raises serious concerns about consumer protection and the maintenance of fair competition in the European market.
As a first step, the signatories of the letter called on the European Commission to collect data on violations from national coordinators of digital services. On this basis, Brussels should ensure compliance with the DSA, in particular by introducing a digital product specification through a digital product passport.
The EU expects the European Commission to consider these requests and take appropriate measures to ensure compliance with EU standards by all participants in the online trading market.
The RAA believes that there is growing concern in the European Union about the activities of both platforms. Consumer organisations that have already filed complaints against both platforms claim that they sell counterfeits, products without permits, and manipulate consumers, including by imposing more expensive goods on them. In addition, Poland’s Ministry of Development and Technology also has reservations about Temu’s activities.
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