The European Commission “must take tough action” and sanction the online platform Shein. This “clearly violates European regulations,” demanded French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on the France Info radio station on Thursday.
“The rules were passed three years ago, the European Commission must now take tough action.” Barrot added: “The Commission has opened some investigations. It must now combine these with sanctions against the Asian platform.”
At national level, he welcomed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s call. He had called for the platform to be suspended until it complied with French law. “But I want to go further and act at European level,” he emphasized.
The European Commission is dealing with the issue, which affects “all platforms, whether marketplaces, product exchange platforms or social networks”. However, this has no real effect, he emphasized. He cited “abuses that raise questions of public order and security.”
“We have covered all of this with rules that are not being respected. That is why the European Commission must take tough action,” he reiterated. Brussels could impose penalties “up to six percent of global turnover, which is not insignificant,” he continued. He complained that “large platforms have been allowed to flourish whose rules are set by Chinese and American billionaires.” These would “disrupt the economic, social and democratic life of the nation”.
He also questioned what measures should be taken against the opening of Shein stores. These would be in competition with “small retailers”. “If we do nothing and just let it happen, small businesses will disappear from our town centers and village centers. This will be the death of our towns and villages,” he warned.
This warning comes at a time when Shein has just opened its first physical boutique at the Paris department store BHV in the heart of the city. Here too, he called for joint action at European level. “The customs authorities must be mobilized, and not just the French ones,” he said. He pointed to the European border guards. These could better control the “massive flow of small packages flooding our towns and villages with counterfeit, harmful or illegal products”. “This is unacceptable. We must regain control of our borders when it comes to importing products into the European Union and France,” he said.
The arrival of the platform, which was founded in China in 2012 and is now based in Singapore, is exacerbating tensions. These revolve around the regulation of online trading and fast fashion.
The site’s sale of child-looking sex dolls, which was uncovered by France’s anti-fraud agency, led to the launch of a judicial investigation. Shein has since assured that it has banned “sex doll” products.
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