Online shopping has long been established, but controversial new platforms are shaking up the market. Germany, together with other countries, is therefore making demands on the EU Commission.
The German government, together with other EU states, is pushing for greater control of online retailers such as the Chinese companies Temu and Shein. “We can no longer accept that hundreds of thousands of packages containing products that do not meet European standards arrive every day,” said State Secretary Sven Giegold in Brussels.
Together with Austria, Poland, Denmark, the Netherlands and France, the German government is urging the EU Commission to consistently impose penalties if online retailers do not comply with applicable rules and, for example, do nothing if products on their websites are classified as unsafe.
Platforms popular, but criticized
Shein and Temu are very popular in Germany. This is mainly due to their low prices. However, the portals are controversial. Sales representatives, politicians and consumer advocates criticize product quality, a lack of controls and unfair competition, among other things. “This affects environmental law, it affects consumer law and of course it also applies to issues such as data protection and intellectual property rights,” said Giegold. The platforms reject such allegations.
The countries propose to identify and punish violations through comprehensive data collection and closer cooperation between authorities.
Temu and Shein are growing fast
According to the Cologne-based retail research institute IFH, 43 percent of consumers in Germany buy from marketplaces such as Temu and Shein. According to the industry association BEVH, five percent of orders in German online retail are made by the two providers. They have more than doubled their market share within a year.
Source: Stern
