Hibapress
Six European Union member states have asked the European Commission to strengthen control over Chinese online shopping sites Temu and Shein, suspected of selling products “sometimes non-compliant” with European legislation.
In a document, Germany and France, supported by Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and Poland, call on the Commission to take “all necessary measures to rigorously apply” the new legislation of the EU on Digital Services (DSA), pointing to ”risks of harm to consumers and unfair competition”.
“Every day, hundreds of thousands of packages arrive at our homes, especially from China, with goods that do not comply with European market rules,” said German State Secretary for the Economy Sven Giegold. on the sidelines of a meeting Thursday with his counterparts in Brussels.
At the end of June, the European Executive requested information from Temu and Shein in order to verify their compliance with European rules on consumer protection.
Other requests focused on deceptive interfaces that make it possible to manipulate user behavior, the protection of minors, the transparency of product recommendation systems, or even the traceability of sellers on these platforms.
Within the framework of the DSA, these various points are subject to obligations or prohibitions.
Requests for information are a first step which can lead to the opening of a formal investigation, and ultimately to heavy financial sanctions in the event of proven regulatory violations.
In the case of Temu and Shein, the two companies have affirmed their willingness to cooperate with the authorities.
