Brussels, 5 February 2025 – The European Tech Alliance (EUTA) welcomes the European Commission’s Communication, “A Comprehensive EU Toolbox for Safe and Sustainable E-Commerce” as a positive step for the digital economy. This initiative aims to ensure fair competition between EU-based companies and their non-EU counterparts.
The Commission highlights the exponential growth of low-cost imports, coming from third party platforms. It signals that 91% of e-commerce shipments (valued under €150) entering the EU in 2024 came from China. The Communication identifies major challenges, including consumer safety risks, sustainability concerns, unfair competition vis-à-vis EU businesses, and regulatory gaps due to the overwhelming volume of such parcels.
Proposed actions include eliminating the €150 customs duty exemption, enforcing digital regulations (e.g., DSA, DMA), strengthening market surveillance, and introducing AI-based detection tools. The EU also aims to enhance cooperation with China on product safety.
The following can be attributed to EUTA’s Secretary General, Victoria de Posson
“We welcome the Commission’s communication on e-commerce as a positive step.”
“For European tech companies to successfully develop e-commerce for European consumers, it is crucial that they operate under clear and transparent rules, which are equally enforced for third-country entities. No one should be able to benefit from unjustified privileges or bypass EU law.
“The focus should be on fair, risk-based, and proportionate rules that tackle challenges without stifling innovation. The EU must ensure a level playing field and uphold EU principles like product safety, sustainability and ethical business.”
About the European Tech Alliance
EUTA represents leading European tech companies that provide innovative products and services to more than one billion users. Our 33 EUTA member companies from 16 European countries are popular and have earned the trust of consumers. As companies born and bred in Europe, for whom the EU is a crucial market, we have a deep commitment to European citizens and values.
With the right conditions, our companies can strengthen Europe’s resilience and technological autonomy, protect and empower users online, and promote Europe’s values of transparency, rule of law and innovation to the rest of the world.
The EUTA calls for boosting Europe’s tech competitiveness by having an ambitious EU tech strategy to overcome growth obstacles, making a political commitment to clear, targeted and risk-based rules, and enforcing rules consistently to match the globalised market we are in.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Victoria de Posson, EUTA Secretary General
E-mail: victoria@eutechalliance.eu
E-mail: info@eutechalliance.eu
Phone: +32 476 25 08 16
www.eutechalliance.eu
