E-Commerce

European Commission Reports 65% Non-Compliance in 2025 E-Commerce Cosmetics Inspections

In May 2026 the European Commission reported that coordinated 2025 customs and market-surveillance checks of e-commerce cosmetics across all EU Member States inspected almost 3,600 products and found an average non-compliance rate of about 65%. This highlights intense and growing regulatory scrutiny of online cosmetics and foreshadows tighter EU customs and market-surveillance frameworks, raising enforcement risk for brands, importers and platforms selling into the EU.

23 May 2026, 09:13europarl.europa.euEuropean Union

CJEU Rejects Greek Partial Ban On Online Sale Of Non‑Prescription Medicines (Case C‑604/24)

In May 2026 the CJEU ruled that Article 85 quater of the EU Medicinal Products Directive requires Member States to permit online distance selling of all non-prescription medicines, making national rules that allow only a subset of OTC products to be sold via certified e-pharmacies incompatible with EU law. Pharmaceutical companies and online pharmacies should reassess national e-commerce restrictions on OTC medicines across the EU, as governments may need to amend laws and enforcement practices that conflict with this judgment, potentially widening online sales opportunities subject to health-protection conditions.

23 May 2026, 09:10eur-lex.europa.euEuropean UnionGreece

Finland, Netherlands, Portugal And Sweden Issue Non-Paper On European Product Act

In May 2026 Finland, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden issued a joint non-paper setting out priorities for an EU-wide European Product Act and broader product-law reforms. If taken up by the Commission and co-legislators, these ideas could reshape product compliance, digital product passports, market surveillance and e-commerce obligations across the Single Market.

20 May 2026, 19:23zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nlEuropean UnionNetherlandsFinlandPortugalSweden

EU Parliament IMCO Minutes Record Temu Scrutiny Hearing on Unsafe and Illegal Products (16 April 2026)

European Parliament IMCO minutes formally record an April 2026 joint public hearing with JURI and PETI on allegations that Temu systematically sells unsafe and illegal products in the EU, with extensive exchanges between MEPs and Temu representatives but no vote or formal decision. This reinforces EU political and regulatory scrutiny of online marketplaces and systemic product-safety non-compliance, signalling potential future enforcement or legislative tightening rather than immediate new legal duties.

20 May 2026, 07:14europarl.europa.euEuropean Union

Croatian Government Approves Proposals to Amend Trade, Crafts and Consumer Protection Laws

In May 2026 the Croatian Government approved proposals to tighten rules on alcohol and energy-drink sales, modernise digital consumer protection and ease crafts regulation by amending the Trade, Crafts and Consumer Protection Acts. These measures will require retailers, online platforms and service providers to upgrade age verification, digital journeys, repair options and green-claims governance once Parliament finalises the bills, so compliance teams should begin impact assessment and implementation planning now.

19 May 2026, 21:14mingo.gov.hrCroatia

Gansu Market Regulator Launches Six-Month Crackdown on Online Food and Health Food False Advertising

From April 2026, the Gansu provincial market regulator is running a six-month enforcement campaign targeting false online advertising of food and health foods across e-commerce and livestreaming platforms. Online food brands and platforms operating in Gansu face heightened scrutiny, licence revocation and blacklisting risks, signalling a tougher enforcement climate for digital food and health-product marketing in China.

19 May 2026, 15:27samr.gov.cnChina

China SAMR Details 2026 Enforcement Priorities for Key Industrial Product Quality and Online Sales

In May 2026 China’s market regulator detailed new licensing rules, online-sales controls and inspection campaigns to tighten quality and safety supervision of key industrial products. These moves signal tougher oversight of low-priced and children’s goods, especially those sold via major e-commerce platforms, increasing enforcement and compliance risk for manufacturers, importers and retailers supplying the Chinese market.

18 May 2026, 17:51samr.gov.cnChina

Japan CAA Commissioner Outlines Food Recall Trends and Subscription-Sales Enforcement (14 May 2026)

Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency used a 14 May 2026 press conference to highlight rising food recall notifications, launch new labelling-compliance leaflets and VR consumer-education videos, and disclose enforcement statistics against deceptive subscription e-commerce practices. These signals reinforce regulatory expectations on accurate food labelling and transparent online sales in Japan, suggesting continued scrutiny of food manufacturers and digital retailers rather than new legal obligations.

16 May 2026, 14:48caa.go.jpJapan

EU and Germany Implement Harmonised Legal Guarantee Notice and GARAN Label for B2C Sales from 27 September 2026

From 27 September 2026, EU traders selling goods to consumers must display a standardised legal guarantee notice and, where applicable, a GARAN durability label under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1960 and related national rules. Retailers, platforms and producers should now audit product ranges, data flows and contracts so the new notices and labels appear correctly across channels, especially in enforcement‑active markets like Germany where formal information‑duty breaches often trigger complaints and competitor actions.

15 May 2026, 16:23eur-lex.europa.euEuropean UnionGermany

South Korea Publishes 6th Product Safety Management Comprehensive Plan (2026–2028)

In May 2026 the Korean government adopted a 6th Product Safety Management Comprehensive Plan setting its 2026–2028 roadmap for more data- and AI-driven oversight of consumer products and online platforms. Over the next three years this signals tighter controls on overseas direct-purchase products, new and updated safety standards for batteries, AI/IoT and children’s products, and more intensive market surveillance and enforcement that manufacturers, importers and marketplaces will need to factor into compliance planning.

15 May 2026, 14:29media.licdn.comSouth Korea

China SAMR Launches Special Action to Remove Obstacles to Unified Market and Fair Competition

China’s market regulator SAMR has launched a nationwide special action running from May to December 2026 to remove local protectionism and other obstacles to a unified, fairly competitive national market, backed by stronger enforcement of competition rules and revisions to core pricing, metrology and certification laws. This signals tighter, more consistent scrutiny of local government measures, tenders, standards and online platform conduct across sectors, so businesses selling into China—particularly via digital channels—should expect less room for preferential treatment and more pressure to align with uniform national rules.

15 May 2026, 13:23samr.gov.cnChina

Australia House Of Representatives Passes Unfair Trading Practices Bill 2026 After Second Reading Amendment

Australia’s House of Representatives has agreed a government second reading amendment to the Competition and Consumer Amendment (Unfair Trading Practices) Bill 2026 and passed the bill to the Senate Economics Legislation Committee, moving major unfair trading, drip pricing and subscription reforms further along the legislative process. Businesses selling goods and services to Australian consumers, particularly via digital and subscription models, should treat these horizontal consumer law changes as increasingly likely and start reviewing pricing transparency, interface design and cancellation pathways ahead of potential commencement.

15 May 2026, 12:02aph.gov.auAustralia

New Zealand Introduces Fair Trading Amendment Bill To Toughen Penalties For Misleading Pricing

New Zealand has introduced the Fair Trading Amendment Bill to sharply increase penalties for misleading pricing, create a safe harbour for online platforms that take down scam content, and streamline how mandatory product safety standards are updated, with the bill headed to a six-month Select Committee stage. This will materially raise enforcement and compliance risk for retailers and online service providers and could lead to faster changes in product safety standards for goods sold in New Zealand, so businesses should review pricing, promotion, and product-safety governance for this market.

14 May 2026, 10:16beehive.govt.nzNew Zealand

EU Commission Answer Outlines Market Surveillance and E‑Commerce Enforcement Measures (E‑000764/2026)

In May 2026 the European Commission set out how it is tightening EU market surveillance for e-commerce, using customs–market surveillance data sharing, Digital Services Act enforcement and digital product passports, and confirmed work on revising the Market Surveillance Regulation as part of a European Product Act package. These moves signal more data-driven, EU-wide enforcement and stricter accountability for online marketplaces and economic operators, raising compliance expectations for all harmonised products sold into the EU single market.

13 May 2026, 12:50europarl.europa.euEuropean Union

Poland’s UOKiK Fines Online Furniture Retailer Beliani €2 Million for Non-Cooperation

Poland’s competition and consumer authority has fined online furniture retailer Beliani €2 million for repeatedly ignoring information requests in a probe into its price promotions. The case signals that any company selling to Polish consumers must be able to evidence marketing claims and fully cooperate with UOKiK, as procedural non-compliance alone can trigger substantial financial penalties.

12 May 2026, 15:07uokik.gov.plPoland

EU Sets 2026 Deadlines for Right to Repair Directive and Online Withdrawal Button Rules

EU-wide consumer reforms will require manufacturers to support repair of key household electronics beyond the legal guarantee and oblige online retailers to add a simple online withdrawal button, with national laws due by mid-2026. These changes will push brands and retailers to design for longevity, expand repair networks, and simplify contract cancellation flows, reshaping after-sales strategies across the EU market.

10 May 2026, 19:00eur-lex.europa.euEuropean UnionSlovenia

UK OPSS Issues Product Safety Report on 110,000 Clear Water Beads Sold via Shein (2604-0218)

On 7 May 2026, the UK Office for Product Safety and Standards issued a high-risk product safety report for 110,000 clear water beads sold via Shein, noting non-compliance with the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 and removal of the listing from the marketplace. This highlights increased enforcement focus on water-bead products sold online and means retailers and marketplaces should reassess similar decorative bead items, warnings and child-safety controls to reduce asphyxiation risk.

9 May 2026, 13:37gov.ukUnited Kingdom

EU Parliamentary Question on Digital Services Act Compliance of Meta and Google Ads for Dangerous Nutraceuticals

On 6 May 2026, an MEP submitted a priority written question asking the European Commission to investigate whether Meta and Google’s advertising of unregulated, potentially dangerous nutraceutical products breaches the EU Digital Services Act. This signals rising pressure to use the DSA’s platform obligations to police health-related advertising, which could tighten compliance expectations for online platforms and sellers of nutraceutical and similar products across the EU.

9 May 2026, 07:17europarl.europa.euEuropean Union

EU Co-Legislators Agree Draft Regulation on the Welfare and Traceability of Dogs and Cats

EU co-legislators have agreed a near-final text for a new regulation establishing harmonised welfare standards and a comprehensive traceability system for all dogs and cats bred, kept, traded or imported in the Union, with implementation staggered over several years after future publication. If adopted as drafted, breeders, sellers, shelters, foster networks, importers and online platforms will face far-reaching new obligations on housing, breeding practices, microchipping and registration, data sharing and online verification that will require multi-year planning, systems changes and coordination across Member States.

9 May 2026, 07:16eur-lex.europa.euEuropean Union

European Commission Recommends EU Age Verification Framework With Member State Roll-Out by End 2026

The European Commission has issued a non-binding Recommendation setting out a common EU framework for privacy-preserving age verification technologies and urging all Member States to deploy at least one EU age verification solution, linked to European Digital Identity Wallets, by the end of 2026. This points to a coming EU-wide expectation that online platforms and providers of age-restricted products and services will support harmonised, standards-based digital age checks aligned with the Digital Services Act, raising future compliance and IT-integration requirements even before binding rules are adopted.

8 May 2026, 19:01data.consilium.europa.euEuropean Union