E-commerce: New rules for stronger consumer protection in the EU

COLOGNE,Germany,Dec. 7,2020 -- The product selection on online platforms such as Amazon is gigantic,with sellers from all over the world offering their goods here. However,the products on offer do not always meet the requirements of the European market and do not have the mandatory CE mark. When trying to hold the respective traders liable for these illegal offers,the authorities sometimes fail because the respective company cannot be identified. "Some sellers are simply intangible. The contact details,address or telephone number provided are incorrect or do not exist at all," says Joerg Echter,an expert in e-commerce at TUV Rheinland. The new EU Regulation 2019/1020/EU is intended to change this and thus also improve consumer protection.

Companies increasingly accessible for consumers

From July 16,2021 onwards,according to the regulation,every online retailer must have a recognized representation within the EU if he wants to offer his products on the Internet on the European market. This step is intended to increase transparency so that all sellers can be held liable for their offers. This helps both authorities and consumers,who can then contact the retailer in case of any complaints about the product. "If even the authorities cannot locate a seller,a customer certainly cannot. The new regulation also gives online shoppers more confidence," stresses Echter. The EU Responsible Person Requirement for CE-marked Product does not apply to non- CE marked products,such as,medical device,explosives for civil uses,and certain lifts and cableway installations.

TUV Rheinland assists in obtaining recognized representation

TUV Rheinland and its partner Obelis Group support companies worldwide in complying with the new EU regulations. The independent testing service provider TUV Rheinland has extended its service and now offers its customers without representation in the EU the possibility to take over not only product testing but also EU representation. This representation,the so-called "Authorized Representative",will be implemented together with the experts of the Obelis Group as long as a company wishes to do so.

For more information,please check our information at www.tuv.com/ce-mark-regulation