Led by France, eight European countries are calling on the European Commission and the member states to “step up” their “collective mobilisation” in the face of the “systemic risks” they say are posed by e-commerce platforms such as Shein, in a letter sent to Brussels on Monday.
AFP/Archives Jade Gao
“We call on the Commission to mobilise forcefully and relentlessly on the issue of unfair competition from third-country e-commerce platforms,” said the signatory states — Austria, Belgium, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Hungary and Poland.
The Commission has already sent requests for information to Shein, a process that can lead to the opening of a formal investigation — as urged by Serge Papin, France’s Trade Minister and the initiator of this letter.
This investigation “must be complemented by provisional measures to mitigate the systemic risks that Shein and other platforms fail to control,” he said at Monday’s Competitiveness Council meeting in Brussels, also calling for “additional sanctions” in “proceedings already launched against Temu and AliExpress”.
The French government has already tried unsuccessfully to suspend Shein via an administrative procedure in early November, following the discovery of the sale of sex dolls with a childlike appearance. It has since referred this request for suspension to the courts, which will rule on 19 December.
However, in view of the possibility of another setback, France is pressing the European Commission to act, as tackling the systemic risks posed by major platforms falls within EU competence.
To protect consumers and businesses from “risks” such as the sale of illicit products or unfair commercial practices, the countries signing the letter are calling for the enforcement of existing laws, including the Digital Services Act (DSA).
They call for “coordinated efforts (…) to strengthen the checks carried out by customs and consumer protection authorities”.
In addition, they call on the European Commission to “play an active role” and to “review existing regulations and, if necessary, strengthen the obligations of online platforms”.
Finally, the signatories call for “the introduction of a European tax on low-value parcels”, a measure already planned at national level, notably by France.
In mid-November, EU finance ministers approved the abolition of the customs duty exemption on small imported parcels, which could enter into force as early as the first quarter of 2026.
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