Six EU countries demand action against Temu and Shein platforms

The letter to the EC was made available to journalists in Brussels on Thursday ahead of the meeting of competitiveness ministers. The appeal was issued by Germanywhich Poland supported, France, Netherlands, Austria and Denmark.

These countries have highlighted that many products manufactured in third countries and delivered directly to EU consumers via online marketplaces do not meet EU requirements.

“If violations of the law are not rigorously detected and punished, this will harm consumers and create an imbalance with law-abiding suppliers. To ensure fair competition and consumer protection in the EU, rigorous enforcement of compliance with applicable EU rules by manufacturers and e-commerce platforms, including from third countries, is crucial,” we read.

The letter explicitly refers to Temu and Shein, which have already been classified by the EC as so-called very large internet platforms. This means that both services must comply with the provisions of the Digital Services Act (DSA), which regulates, among other things, online trade in illegal products. Now, six member states are demanding strict application of new EU regulations to these platforms.

As a first step, the signatories of the letter called on the EC to collect data on infringements from national digital service coordinators. On this basis, Brussels should enforce the provisions of the DSA, for example by introducing digital product specifications via a digital product passport.

In the EU, concerns about the activities of both platforms are growing. Consumer organizations, which have already filed complaints about both platforms, accuse them of trading in counterfeits, uncertified products and manipulating consumers, including by pushing more expensive goods on them. The Polish Ministry of Development and Technology also had reservations about Temu's activities.