Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The European Union called on retail giant Shein to comply with its consumer protection laws, cautioning that non-compliance could result in fines concerns.
The European Commission stated that the Consumer Protection Co-operation (CPC) network, comprising national consumer authorities, informed Shein of practices that violate European Union consumer regulations.
What EU rules did Shein reportedly violate?
As reported by the EU Commission, after a coordinated inquiry at the European Union level, the CPC Network of national consumer management, along with the EU Commission, informed the e-commerce platform SHEIN about several practices on its site that violate European Union consumer regulations. The CPC Network has instructed SHEIN to align these practices with European Union consumer regulations. SHEIN is still under investigation and has been asked to supply additional information to the CPC Network.
Moreover, the examination addresses various practices that consumers encounter while shopping on SHEIN that violate European Union regulations. These include fake discounts, pressure selling, incorrect or misleading information, deceptive product labels, misleading sustainability claims, and hidden contact details.
How did the CPC Network warn Shein legally?
“If Shein does not respond to the issues brought up by the CPC Network, national authorities can implement enforcement actions to guarantee compliance. This may involve the imposition of fines calculated on the basis of Shein’s annual revenue within the European Union Member nation concerned,” the EU Commission statement said.
Has Shein faced scrutiny from the EU previously?
The European Union has conducted several investigations into Shein prior to the developments in May 2025. These investigations have focused on consumer protection, product safety, and compliance with EU digital and marketplace regulations. Shein was required to respond by February 27, 2025.
The Commission indicated that, depending on the responses, it could formally open proceedings under Article 66 of the Digital Services Act (DSA). Additionally, The Commission previously also sent a request for information to Shein on June 28, 2024, regarding Compliance with DSA obligations, especially the ‘Notice and Action mechanism’ for reporting illegal products.
