Describing the flood of unsafe products into the EU as a “tsunami”, Green MEP Saskia Bricmont said further action was needed to protect consumers and prevent counterfeiting. She added that it was important for the EU to propose “alternative and affordable consumption models” based on the use of local and second-hand products and a circular economy.
[…]
“Non-EU platforms have avoided paying any environmental fees and have undermined efforts to move towards a circular economy,” [Maria Guzenina (S&D)] said.
[…]
MEP Leila Chaibi (The Left) also wants the Commission to strengthen rules on digital fairness.
According to her, Amazon, Temu and Shein should be “banned from the EU” as long as they fail to comply with EU laws on conformity standards, as well as social and environmental norms.
[…]
The Commission unveiled its e-commerce strategy in February, which focuses on better cooperation between the EU and national authorities. On the same day, it announced new actions against Shein under its consumer protection rules and emphasised that e-commerce companies such as Amazon, Temu and Shein face ongoing investigations under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).
However, the Commission said it would wait a year before evaluating its e-commerce strategy.
So just actually enforce EU law and ban companies that do not comply? Sounds reasonable enough. “Banned from the EU” sound like they want to target specific companies but thats not really the case if you actually just enforce your laws
In Switzerland, Amazon has (for most physical products) hardly been competitive since 2018 due to a VAT regulation, which is intended to protect the Swiss domestic economy against the size-related superiority and, above all, against the tax tricks of this juggernaut. Nevertheless, the world has not come to an end there - quite the opposite. There is actually some competition again in their e-commerce-market.
No shit. That’s because Amazon chokes all competition. Downsizing them gives competition a chance to come back alive.
Exactly, no shit.
It’s quite nice not having to deal with amazon.
It’s disappointing and very stupid that so many people just love buying toxic crap they don’t need, produced by people who are effectively slaves.
That said, the left loves to pretend we are headed towards a “circular economy” and that stuff like Temu is holding that back. While this is a beautiful thought, the notion that people who are OK with Temu will embrace an alternative model of repairs and small second-hand family-owned local shops is just a fantasy.
Yeah. The trend of making “haul” videos leaves me crestfallen every time I see one.
Retail Therapy, we’ve all been programmed to find pleasure in consumption.
That said, the left loves to pretend we are headed towards a “circular economy”
Unfortunately, we’re not doing great on the path to a circular economy. The issue is that if we want to continue life on Earth as we know it, it’s an imperative that we not kill nature entirely, so we’d probably be advised to massively reduce the speed with which we dig new materials and the speed with which we landfill or burn said materials.
I think part of the problem is that people believe they are being overcharged for stuff and that they are simply getting the “real “ or “fair “ price from these other sellers.
As an addition to Shein which aims at IPO at the London Stock exchange (article from 20 March 2025):
Why Shein’s Prices Are So Cheap, And Why You Shouldn’t Fall For It
[The fast fast turnaround time of new product at Shein] comes at the expense of poor working conditions. A 2022 documentary by the UK’s Channel 4 called “Inside the Shein Machine: UNTOLD” details horrific working conditions, with factory workers subjected to 18-hour work days and only one day off per month. In addition, it alleged that workers were paid approximately $550 per month to make at least 500 pieces of clothing per day. By cutting labor costs, SHEIN is able to price its products more competitively than other fashion brands that comply with labor regulations […]
[Investigations within another SHEIN supply chain company revealed that people] are working 12-hour days for typically seven days per week — similar conditions to the ones reported in the UK documentary in 2022. Despite the additional years of supposed efforts to improve conditions within SHEIN’s supply chain, workers at some suppliers indicated that not much had changed […]
The environmental impact of fast fashion is well documented, with mountains of discarded clothes ending up in landfills. SHEIN’s cheap prices and $7.99 shipping fee for returns result in many buyers not bothering to return ill-fitting or poor-quality pieces. As a result, many of these clothes are discarded, destined for landfills. While you might end up with some good pieces, getting badly stitched or poor-quality items from SHEIN is not uncommon. Even if you get a piece of clothing that fits well, it might not last more than a few washes.
I am aware that Amazon and other e-commerce giants have produced damages to our economies and that those huge profits do not drip down to the local communities but I do not agree that now we should hope for them to just disappear.
E-commerce won’t go away cause it is part of the technological progress and no one will stop using them on moral or ethical basis. They are here to stay and the sooner we accept it the sooner we can understand that these realities have to be at least reformed or forced to comply to regulations.
Hoping for people and economies to just radically change is in my opinion just delusional.
Asked Le Mistral on some ideas and I think they could be a starting point for a more productive discussion on this topic. Amazon and other big e-commerce corporations hinder progress on circular economy and on sustainable local commerce. How could these realities be reformed so to better help with these issues?
My friend, maybe you didn’t read the article well. Enforcing regulatioand collecting the due taxes are exactly what they are proposing
I read it but my reply was aimed at the general discussion vibe here, where many where expressing stronger opinions on the matter
Who hoped they would just dissappear?
EU has forced abusive international companies to change plenty of times. I see no reason why this would be any different.
I’d love to see Temu banned from the US too. Everything I’ve ever heard about their shit boils down to “hot garbage on a good day.”
“You can only buy chinese products through our companies”
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