Laws and regulations

Online stores in Switzerland will not be mandated to charge for the return of goods. The Swiss National Council has rejected a motion proposing a returns fee. The obligation would be an encroachment on economic freedom.

French activists urge for legislative and regulatory measures against Shein, the fast fashion giant from China that is rapidly expanding in Europe. The activists are concerned about Shein's impact on the planet. "Behind the €2 t-shirts or €9 dresses lies an unbearable operating system that destroys the environment and human rights," they state.

The European Commission is planning to impose import duties on goods up to 150 euros, which are currently exempted. Brussels has previously abolished VAT exemptions. These measures strengthen the position of traders within the Union.

During a plenary session, the European Parliament approved revised rules on product safety of non-food consumer products. According to the new rules, products from outside the EU can be sold on the market if an economic operator in the EU is responsible for its safety.

Popular marketplace Wish is once again available in France. A year and a half ago, the state delisted the platform because of unsafe products. Now, the marketplace can be found in the biggest search engines and app stores again.

Seventeen European trade organizations have recently published an open letter to the European Union to express their disapproval of a new withdrawal button. This button allows consumers to undo a transaction after placing an order. “This button exceeds its purpose”, said Marlene ten Ham of Dutch ecommerce association Thuiswinkel.org.

The European Union is implementing the Digital Services Act and the Digital Market Act, which impact online marketplaces and social media platforms. This package of rules will create a safer digital space for users and fight rogue sellers.

Nearly 40 percent of online shops in Europe uses so-called ‘dark patterns’. These are ways of encouraging customers into making a purchase under false pretenses, such as hiding costs and false countdowns.

Online marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay and Vinted will now have to report sales made on their platforms by end users to the tax office. This is part of a new EU law. Private sellers will be reported when they make over 2,000 euros or have over 30 transactions per year.

Google will provide more transparency for consumers buying products through the company’s ecommerce platforms, such as the Google Store. The tech giant is doing so to comply with rules set by the European Union. However, the company still breaches EU laws on geo-blocking.

Online payment provider Paypal is under investigation by the Federal Cartel Office (FCO) in Germany. The company has allegedly hindered market and price competition in its terms and conditions, the German watchdog says.

Online luxury retailer Yoox Net-A-Porter Group has been fined 5.25 million euros by the Italian antitrust agency. The group is fined over misleading pricing and its return policy. The retailer has already announced plans to appeal against the ruling.

Amazon has reached a settlement with the European Commission. The ecommerce giant says it will not use data from partner sellers for its own products. It will also add a second Buy Box. By doing this, the platform avoids a billion dollar fine.

German antitrust watchdog, the Federal Cartel Office (FCO), has announced that it is widening its investigation into Amazon’s activities in Germany. The renewed investigation will take into account a reformed German competition law, targeting digital giants. The investigation looks into pricing and instruments applied by Amazon to control marketplace sellers.

The European Commission is working on new laws to reduce packaging waste. The plans include cutting down on empty space in ecommerce parcels as well as an increase in reusable packaging.  A draft of the rules, which was supposed to come out at the end of the month, was leaked early.