Michael McGrath, the European Union’s justice commissioner, expressed his determination to crack down on the sale of goods that do not comply with EU regulations on major Chinese e-commerce platforms like Temu and Shein.
McGrath told the Guardian that he was “shocked” by the sale of potentially dangerous products via these low-cost platforms which pose risks to consumers’ safety. It would be the EU’s “duty” to act, he said.
“I am determined that we step up our enforcement of our product safety laws and our consumer protection rules,” McGrath said in the Guardian piece published Sunday.
Platforms like Temu and Shein specialize in selling cheap products through small parcels — millions of which enter the EU each day.
Earlier this month, a European Parliament report found that “most unsafe and illegal products” arriving in the EU came via such small parcels in online commerce, “in particular” through Chinese platforms.
In October last year, the European Commission opened a formal investigation into Temu, with a preliminary analysis suggesting that the platform may have failed to crack down on noncompliant products. Brussels has also targeted Shein for alleged violations of consumer protection law involving fake discounts and misleading sustainability claims.
The Parliament’s report underlined that customs officials struggled to control these products which arrive in major ports or airports, making it nearly impossible to stop them from entering the EU. Salvatore De Meo, the EPP MEP who authored the report, said the lack of effective checks was “putting consumer safety at risk and penalizing businesses that play by the rules.”
That assessment is shared by McGrath: “It’s not only about protecting consumers, but there is a very serious level-playing-field issue here for European businesses,” the Irish commissioner told the Guardian. “They are expected to compete with sellers who are not complying with our rules.”
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