Retailers and wholesalers across Europe have called for concrete action on competitiveness, for a levelling of the playing field and for more effective and efficient enforcement of EU rules to ensure all products offered to consumers in Europe are safe, not misleading and in compliance with all EU rules.
EuroCommerce Director General, Christel Delberghe, launched a campaign for more effective and efficient enforcement against unfair competition from third-country players under the hashtag #Compliance4all, while speaking on a panel with Commissioner Didier Reynders and Chair of the Internal Market Committee in the European Parliament, MEP Anna Cavazzini, at the Commission’s International Product Safety Week conference.
Launching the initiative, Ms Delberghe said: “The EU has the highest level of consumer protection and product safety in the world. But increasingly, we fall short on enforcing our own rules – particularly when it comes to third-country traders and marketplaces. Many national authority networks are looking at enforcement of EU rules but are not working efficiently together.”
Across Europe, while EU-based retailers and wholesalers strive tirelessly to meet strict regulatory standards they increasingly contend with unfair competition from non-compliant third-country players. This massive influx of non-compliant products and misleading offerings puts consumers’ safety at risk. It also creates unfair competition for EU-based retailers that need to meet high standards and bear the cost of compliance. The impact is felt across multiple sectors – toys, cosmetics, textiles, shoes, electronics, to name but a few.
“We need an immediate, coherent and coordinated enforcement strategy from all relevant enforcement authorities and the European Commission. This is crucial for the safety of consumers and to maintain a vibrant, innovative and diverse European retail sector by 2030.”, added Christel Delberghe.
EuroCommerce encourages all relevant authorities to develop concrete enforcement action plans together and utilise all available instruments, including EU subsidy provisions, to ensure fair competition in the EU and a high level of consumer protection.
