Baden-Württemberg: Fairness and safety in online trading required!

Baden-Württemberg: Fairness and safety in online trading required!

In today's digital world, where online trading is booming, fair conditions are of the utmost importance for consumers. Baden-Württemberg is a good example and is planning a motion for a resolution in the Federal Council in order to make cross-border online trading more secure and more transparent. The aim is that consumers are better protected on the Internet when shopping and can enforce their rights easier. As Staatsanzeiger reports, expresses Peter Hauk, Minister of Nutrition, Rural Affairs and Consumer Protection, concerns about the numerous providers from third countries that often do not correspond to the strict European standards.

The topic of consumer protection therefore plays a central role. In an increasingly globalized commercial landscape, online shopping for consumers becomes easier, but also harbors new challenges. The international online trade offers a wide range of products and potential price advantages, but is also more complex than national purchasing and has various risks, such as defects in quality and difficulties in complaints. For this purpose, research needs, as the experts Prof. Dr. Hanna Schramm-Klein and Dr. Gerhard Wagner from the University of Siegen explain in her current project for cross-border online shopping. According to Consumer research NRW there is an urgent need to analyze the behavior and problems of consumers when purchasing in other countries to analyze to to find suitable solutions for consumer protection.

international regulations on the test bench

Another important step in this direction was carried out at the WTO at the end of July 2024 when 83 member states signed a joint agreement regarding digital trade. This initiative aims to make online trading for consumers: to make it easier and safer on the world. The European Commission has negotiated improvements for European consumers in these negotiations, which, among other things, are intended to strengthen the safety of the products sold online, the enforceability of consumer rights and the cooperation between consumer protection authorities. A detailed overview of the new regulations provides VZBV .

However, important states such as the USA, India and South Africa are currently skeptical about implementation, which questions the consent to the agreement. As long as this consent is available, the Agreement acts as a political guideline for the desired improvements in online retail. The hurdles that can occur in cross -border purchase are therefore also part of the constantly changing legal framework, which is supposed to ensure fair competition.

Overall, it can be seen that the discussion about consumer protection on the Internet is of great importance not only at the national level, but also internationally. The challenge will be to create a harmonized set of rules that benefits all consumers and at the same time preserves the diversity and the advantages of global trade.