Laws and regulations

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

After France approved a new digital tax on American tech giants, Amazon reacted by passing along the costs to French Amazon sellers. The marketplace is raising seller fees by 3 percent for thousands of small and medium-sized businesses in France.

Ever since the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, came into force 14 months ago, ecommerce websites in Europe have recorded lower page views, site visits and revenue.

The European Court of Justice has decided today that online retailers don't need to provide a phone number, as long as customers are offered other ways to contact the ecommerce company.

The European elections take place between 23 to 26 May, in a time where Brexit and the growth of euroscepticism are hot topics. Pan-European ecommerce association Ecommerce Europe wants a level-playing field for the Digital Single Market and gives 10 recommendations for a better ecommerce industry in Europe.

The French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire wants a 3 percent tax on the French revenue of large internet companies, such as Amazon, Airbnb, Booking.com and Criteo. It looks like an EU-wide digital tax plan will be ditched next week.