21
Oct
2024
Watch
A stronger Europe for safer products to better protect consumers and tackle unfair competition: boosting EU oversight in e-commerce and imports (debate)
Mr. Commissioner, I would like to thank you. Colleagues, my friends! The European Union is at the forefront of regulation to protect consumers in the digital market, while millions of Europeans are using products that do not meet European Union standards. Why is that? Firstly, because the European market is flooded by Chinese subsidised goods sold at unbeatable low prices. 2023 year 2 billion packages, 2024 year twice as many packages - 4 billion. There are also dangerous products coming in. The letter I received from 100 Polish toy manufacturers pointed to a report by Toy Industries of Europe, from which we learn that 18 out of 19 toys bought on Temu platform pose a real threat to children's safety. Thirdly, Chinese sales platforms use aggressive marketing and manipulate customers. Often, information about who sells and for how much they sell requires dozens of clicks, and in the end it is given in Chinese. What can we do to restore fair competition? First of all, except for a few exceptions, introduce customs duties on parcels worth up to EUR 150. Secondly, the Commission needs to enforce existing legislation effectively and swiftly. Thirdly, the activities of national and EU supervisors need to be coordinated. We must stop this before it is too late, before millions of products that do not meet safety standards end up in our homes, in the hands of our children, before hundreds of thousands of places in Europe disappear. We have to do it now.