Stronger EU e-commerce rules demanded

Recommendations include forcing online marketplaces to verify the legality of the products they offer.

The European Footwear Federation has joined forces with consumer and environmental bodies, as well as industry, retail and wholesale organisations, to call for tougher European Union (EU) rules to address what they claim are ‘regulatory loopholes in online marketplaces’. The group has warned that non-compliant products from which consumers need to be protected are flooding into Europe via online marketplaces.

Key recommendations for strengthening online marketplace accountability and product compliance in the EU include a legal requirement that every product sold there has an identifiable ‘economic operator’ established in the EU who is responsible for ensuring that the item and its packaging complies with EU legislation.

In line with this, the coalition is calling for the recognition of online marketplaces as economic operators when they place products on the market for a seller located outside the EU or if this company cannot be reached.

Enhanced obligations are also being sought to force online outlets to verify through documentation checks and sample testing that products sold on their platforms either comply with EU rules or are linked to a registered economic operator in the EU or the European Economic Area (EEA).

Publishing Data

This article was originally published on page 2 of the October 2025 issue of SATRA Bulletin.

Other articles from this issue »

---