Environment ministers from Norway, Denmark, and Sweden have launched a joint initiative urging the European Union to crack down on global e-commerce platforms, which they accuse of flooding the market with unsafe and non-compliant products, according to Euractiv.
Danish Environment Minister Magnus Heunicke condemned the current state of unregulated online shopping, stating that a Nordic inspection project found 71% of tested products failed to meet EU safety standards, many containing dangerously high levels of toxic chemicals.
This is a problem, and we need to deal with it now,” said Sweden’s Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari, echoing the urgency for stricter enforcement
Norwegian Climate and Environment Minister Andreas Bjelland Eriksen emphasised that while Norway could ban or sanction a domestic company violating safety laws, platforms like Temu–headquartered outside the EU and European Economic Area (EEA)–operate with near impunity.
Our toolbox is very limited. [That’s why] I’m very happy we now have this Nordic initiative [to push for stronger European regulations].
While the European Commission has pledged to address e-commerce safety, the Scandinavian ministers argue that current proposals lack real teeth—such as fines, product bans, or marketplace suspensions for repeat offenders.
The move reflects growing European frustration with cheap, unregulated imports from ultra-fast-fashion and discount e-commerce giants, raising pressure on Brussels to impose stricter enforcement mechanisms in the coming months.
