Joint Industry and Civil Society Statement Calls for Stronger Product Compliance Rules and Accountability in E-commerce

Together with 87 signatories across EU industry, consumer organisations, and environmental NGOs, the CEC is calling for stronger product compliance rules and accountability in e-commerce. The rapid growth of e-commerce over the past few years has led to an unprecedented surge in direct imports from third countries. Analyses of these imports have indicated that a significant number do not meet EU health, safety, and environmental standards. Facing this surge, customs and market surveillance authorities have limited resources and have been unable to effectively check parcels and enforce rules.

Furthermore, there is an accountability gap. In many cases, there is no identifiable economic operator established within the EU who can be held responsible for product compliance or fulfil obligations for EPR schemes. Online marketplaces, social media, and live streaming services are recognised as intermediaries and cannot currently be held accountable when there is no identifiable economic operator.

To address this issue, the upcoming European Product Act must ensure the following:

• For every product placed on the EU market, regardless of its sales channel or country of origin, a clearly identified economic operator must be established within the EU/EEA.
• Online platforms facilitating the sale of products on behalf of sellers established outside the EU must, before the products are listed for sale to EU consumers, ensure that another economic operator established within the EU/EEA has ensured the compliance of the individual products.
• Online platforms shall be recognised as the responsible economic operator whenever there is no other liable economic operator established within the EU/EEA, or where such an operator cannot be identified or traced.

You can read more about this in our joint statement.