Amazon and Co.: EU determines more consumer protection for online purchases Mud, mud and mud: wet everyday life in the Ukrainian trenches

Online retailers and other companies in the supply chain will have to take more responsibility for the products they sell in the future, according to a compromise agreed Tuesday evening. One of the objectives is that dangerous products are quickly removed from the market.

This concerns, for example, goods that are purchased online – for example from Amazon – and are delivered from a non-EU country. “As a result, products that do not meet our safety standards end up on the internal market,” emphasizes Anna Cavazzini, chair of the internal market committee in the EU parliament. She spoke of an overdue adjustment to the demands of online shopping.

In the future, a so-called responsible person will have to check whether the manufacturer’s information on EU safety standards is correct and whether they are met. Under certain circumstances, this person would therefore also be liable for damage caused by defective products, said SPD MEP René Repasi.

This should encourage responsible companies to inform their customers better and faster, for example in the event of recall campaigns. Buyers also receive an extended warranty period during which they are entitled to replacement, repair or refund of hazardous products.

According to the European Parliament, the new rules should save consumers in the EU around €1 billion in the first year and around €5.5 billion over the next ten years.

The compromise has yet to be formally approved by EU countries and the European Parliament. The new rules will enter into force after an 18-month transition period. (sda/dpa)