Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein is set to appear before the European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee on Jan. 27, marking a rare direct engagement with lawmakers amid mounting scrutiny over its business practices and the safety of goods sold on its platform.
The hearing comes after repeated invitations from European lawmakers concerned about the proliferation of illegal and unsafe products being shipped into the EU via low-value e-commerce parcels, a surge tied to marketplaces such as Shein. Lawmakers plan to question company representatives on how they monitor and police listings to ensure compliance with EU product safety and consumer protection rules.
Lawmakers’ attention has been sharpened by broader regulatory pressure across the bloc, including investigations under the Digital Services Act into Shein’s handling of illegal content and the transparency of its recommender systems. Regulators have previously requested internal documentation from the group on how it addresses illegal goods and other risks on its site.
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The scheduled appearance also unfolds against the backdrop of parliamentary resolutions adopted last year calling for faster enforcement of EU laws against unsafe goods sold online and more dissuasive sanctions against platforms that repeatedly breach rules. Those resolutions highlighted systemic failures in oversight mechanisms and pointed to incidents involving child-like sex dolls and weapons listed on online marketplaces, which have intensified calls for robust enforcement of EU consumer and safety laws.
Shein’s engagement with the committee is seen as a pivotal moment in Brussels’ attempt to hold global e-commerce players accountable for the products reaching European consumers and to address concerns about fair competition, consumer safety, and regulatory compliance within the single market.
