As ecommerce become an increasingly mature business, more and more laws and regulations come in place. This is also because Europe desperately wants to have one, unified ecommerce market. The Directive on Consumer Right is one of these examples. As of 13 June 2014 it replaced certain directives and it’s focused more on protecting the online consumer than the European Union did before.
EU4Digital, an initiative to extend the European Digital Single Market to Eastern Europe, has launched an ecommerce pilot between Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Germany. Its goal is to increase ecommerce volumes. Continue reading
The Treasury, the UK’s economic and finance ministry, is exploring options for an online sales tax. With this measure, it wants to shift the balance between spending online and in physical stores. British high streets are currently struggling due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Continue reading
For certain fast-moving consumer goods categories, half of retailers and wholesalers in the European Union experience supply constraints that are based on their location. These restrictions could limit traders to source goods in, and to resell goods to, other EU countries. Continue reading
Ecommerce fraud is becoming a real problem in Germany. But why is German online retail particularly prone to this type of fraud? It has everything to do with the preferred payment method of German shoppers. Continue reading
The European Commission has accused Amazon of abusing non-public data from third-party merchants to boost sales of its own brands in France and Germany. The Commission also opened a second investigation regarding the possible preferential treatment of marketplace sellers that use Amazon’s fulfillment services. Continue reading
France has announced plans to pause the development of warehouses used by ecommerce companies. This would mean a setback for online retail giants such as Amazon. The plan was announced by the newly-appointed Minister of Environment, Barbara Pompili. Continue reading
Over half of online businesses in Europe believe that cross-border expansion within the European Union is becoming increasingly difficult. Research shows that the diversity of regulations across the EU is a barrier to international growth. Continue reading
Amazon must restrict its orders in France in the coming weeks, due to measures associated with Covid-19. That’s what a court decided earlier this week. Amazon can only accept orders of groceries, hygiene and health-related products. Continue reading
The European Commission has adopted a new plan, which focuses on the design and production for a circular economy. The Commission wants to transform the way products in the EU are made. It wants them recyclable, repairable and designed to last longer. Continue reading
Two thirds of products bought from the online marketplaces AliExpress, Wish, LightInTheBox, eBay and Amazon have failed safety tests. This is the result of extensive research done by six European consumers’ associations. Continue reading
The Cabinet of Germany has launched a draft law that is aimed to improve waste avoidance and to increase recycling. For online retailers this means the destruction of products will be more difficult, so they need to find a better way to deal with returns. Continue reading
Facebook and eBay have agreed to do better in fighting fake and misleading reviews on their websites. They have made the pledge after the Competition and Markets Authority in the United Kingdom told them to address this problem. Continue reading
New European Union rules for better consumer protection came into force yesterday. The modernized rules are designed to better be in line with digital developments. The European Commission urges member states to strictly implement the rules. Continue reading
Italy has plans to introduce a so-called web tax in 2020. The Southern European country has announced plans to introduce this tax in its new budget draft. The web tax is aimed at online giants like Amazon and Google. Continue reading
Online marketplaces such as eBay, Amazon and Etsy are warning connected retailers who are subject to VAT in Germany. They should provide the marketplaces with proof of their VAT registration with a special certificate. The deadline for submission expires on the 1st of October. Continue reading