During 18-19 September, Ecommerce Europe participated at the ecomTEAM event in Brașov, Romania. The event featured participants entrepreneurs, e-commerce experts and enforcement authorities. It was highlighted to the participants and the regulators the fact that European e-commerce sector is under growing pressure. Given that global competition is intensifying, and the regulatory framework is becoming increasingly complex, businesses are beginning to struggle.
During the session on “Competition and Compliance in the EU,” the speakers underlined the opportunities and risks of this new environment. Regarding the EU level, Ecommerce Europe spoke about ongoing concerns with regards to DMA implementation and the risks posed by new features such as Google AI Overview, which could redirect consumers to purchase directly within Google’s ecosystem. For many retailers, this threatens visibility and sales. At the same time, they warned against adding new regulatory layers through the proposed Digital Fairness Act, which could complicate the legal environment even further.
At the same time, ARMO was also represented in this panel and focused on customs duties and the surge of non-EU imports. With non-EU sellers able to undercut European retailers by as much as 40%, many businesses face an uneven playing field.
In the end, the message core was that enforcement and practical implementation will determine whether these measures restore fairness.