A study jointly commissioned by EuroCommerce, Ecommerce Europe and Independent Retail Europe, published on Friday 15 November, looks at digital fairness in online retail.
According to its conclusions, the current legal framework “is mostly fit to ensure digital fairness and there is no need for a major overhaul of existing rules”.
Against a backdrop of concerns about the “dark patterns” and algorithms of certain platforms and social networks (see EUROPE 13497/6), the study prefers to focus on “stronger enforcement of the current rules and incremental adjustments” to ensure a greater level of consumer protection (see EUROPE 13511/29).
The introduction of new regulations could “limit innovation and competition, reduce product choice and affordability for EU consumers”.
The three associations recommend strengthening existing enforcement mechanisms to cover grey areas of regulation, taking targeted action and striking a “balance between entrepreneurial freedom and consumer rights”.
For the Commission, the issue of the problems posed by dangerous products entering the EU via foreign sales platforms, such as Temu, is a major strand of work (see EUROPE 13516/9).
At the end of September, six European Union countries, including France and Germany, asked the Commission to clamp down on Temu and similar platforms (see EUROPE 13491/3).
In 2023, EU customs prevented almost €3.4 billion worth of counterfeit and potentially dangerous goods from entering the single market.
See the study: https://aeur.eu/f/ebw (Original version in French by Isalia Stieffatre)