What did the regulations in the European Union E-Commerce Law Regulation bring?

The European Commission introduced a number of new rules in e-commerce regulations in recent months. The new rules, which have been implemented across the EU (European Union), put an end to online discrimination based on nationality or place of residence. In line with these decisions, obstacles such as the obligation to make payments only with a bank or credit card belonging to a specific country, or being redirected to country-specific websites, have been removed. As a result, online sellers are now required to treat all consumers equally regardless of where they shop online. Thanks to the regulations in the EU E-Commerce Law, a significant level of equality has been achieved in the functioning of cross-border e-commerce.

Decision-makers in the European Union took into account that shipping prices in cross-border e-commerce can be three to five times higher than domestic e-commerce delivery prices. With the aim of finding the most economical way to ship between EU countries, they introduced new regulations. When research conducted in Europe is examined, it is seen that 62% of those who want to sell on online platforms identify high shipping costs as a problem. Evaluating these data, the EU created a turning point in the development of global e-commerce by making access to affordable freight rates easier.

What Did the EU Trade Law Regulation Introduce?

• Sellers on e-commerce platforms are now required to clearly state shipping prices, allowing consumers to easily make comparisons.

• National authorities will now collect information from carrier companies every year and, in cases where cargo deliveries are subject to a universal service obligation, will evaluate areas where tariffs are high.

• According to rules protecting online consumers in EU member states, fraudulent websites can now be identified and access to their social media accounts can be blocked. In addition, the identities of online sellers engaged in fraudulent product sales can be determined by requesting information from internet service providers or banks.

• With the new regulations, digital content services and digital services provided to consumers (without requiring them to make a payment) are offered in exchange for the sharing of personal data with the seller. In this way, consumer rights are defined within a much clearer framework.

• In line with the decisions taken, online platforms are required to inform consumers about which seller they are purchasing products from.