There European Commission has announced an investigation on the fast fashion clothing giant Sheinby placing the emphasis on the challenges related to Chinese e-commerce. The initiative is part of a wider strategy aimed at strengthening consumer protection and contrasting Sleal commercial practices.
At the same time Brussels presented a package of measures for regulating online trade with non-EU companies, focusing in particular on platforms such as Temu and Aliexpress. One of the key points concerns the elimination of exemption from customs duties For parcels of value of less than 150 euros, proposed in the reform of the customs union.
The Commission intends to accelerate the approval of this rule, claiming that the current system favors unfair competition Between European sellers and foreign platforms, often not compliant with the environmental and safety standards imposed in the EU. In addition, the establishment of A European customs authority to coordinate the checks between the Member States.
There are suspicions based on the failure to comply with European regulations
The investigation on Shein will be conducted in collaboration with the Consumer Cooperation Network (CPC), an organism that brings together the national consumer protection authorities in all member countries. According to Brussels there are suspicions founded on the failure to comply with European regulations On the part of the platform, in particular as regards the transparency of prices, deceptive commercial practices and product safety. A similar initiative is already in progress against Temustarted last November.
In parallel, the Commission introduced a series of tools to intensify controls on imported products, including the Mystery Shopping and the use of artificial intelligence To identify articles that do not comply with EU regulations. The goal is to ensure greater safety for consumers and reduce the environmental impact of the growing volume of expeditions of low -cost products.
In 2024 the value of imports of small assets reached 4.6 billion euros, with an average of 12 million parcels per day. The number of counterfeit articles seized At borders it increased drastically, going from 17.5 million in 2023 to an even higher figure in 2024.
Brussels wants to ensure that e-commerce remains a competitive and safe sector for European consumers, avoiding market distortions and protecting local businesses. For this reason, he also announced a future legislation on “digital correctness”, with the aim of filling the current gaps in the laws on online consumers.
