Unsafe and counterfeit products sold on online marketplaces were at the centre of a tense exchange as the European Parliament’s consumer protection committee. Lawmakers confronted AliExpress over compliance failures, questioning the platform’s ability to prevent illegal goods from reaching EU consumers.
The Monday, 23 March exchange at the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO) came amid an ongoing investigation under the Digital Services Act and followed earlier hearings with similar platforms, such as SHEIN. MEPs are increasingly concerned about whether online marketplaces can comply with EU rules on product safety, consumer protection, and fair competition.
Opening the session, IMCO Chair Anna Cavazzini (Greens-EFA/DEU) underlined the urgency of the issue, stressing that the committee has made e-commerce a standing item on its agenda. “All the reports, all the statistics show that there is a huge problem,” she said, referring to the scale of non-compliant goods entering the EU market.
Scale of unsafe goods
Representatives of the European Commission pointed to the sheer volume of imports as a key obstacle. According to Rita Wezenbeek, Director of Platforms Policy and Enforcement in DG CONNECT, the EU received 5.8bn low-value parcels in 2025 alone, a 26 per cent increase compared to the previous year. Around 95 per cent of these shipments originated from China.
Commission officials also highlighted structural weaknesses in enforcement, with many non-EU sellers effectively untraceable. “Information on the EU-based economic operator, so-called authorised representative, is often missing or false,” they said. This makes enforcement and consumer redress nearly impossible. Beyond traceability, authorities warned that illegal products frequently reappear after being removed.
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Besides, while national enforcement efforts remain fragmented and under-resourced. According to a recent consultation, 80 per cent of stakeholders believe authorities lack the capacity to deal with the scale of e-commerce challenges.
These structural weaknesses are reflected in enforcement data. Based on inspections of more than 30k products, the results revealed consistently high rates of non-compliance across key categories, including cosmetics (up to 65%), personal protective equipment (around 60%) and food supplements (63%).
High non-compliance rates
In laboratory testing, 81 per cent of sampled products were found to pose health or safety risks. AliExpress featured prominently in this data. According to the Commission, even the best compliance rate observed for products linked to the platform still corresponded to 53 per cent non-compliance. “These are shocking figures,” the Chair remarked.
MEPs across political groups voiced growing frustration, pointing to the gap between the company’s commitments and the reality on the market. MEP Christel Schaldemose (S&D/DNK) told AliExpress representatives, “It sounds great what you’re doing, but reality is not great. I will not be happy… until I see that it has an impact.” She also raised concerns about fairness within the single market, arguing that European companies would not survive if they operated with similar levels of non-compliance.
Also, MEP Pablo Arias Echeverría (EPP/ESP) echoed the criticism, describing a lack of concrete action. “We’re talking a lot here, but not actually doing anything,” pointing to loopholes such as the €150 threshold for customs checks, which allows many parcels to enter the EU with limited scrutiny.
MEP frustration grows
Other members questioned the effectiveness of AliExpress’s internal systems. MEP Alex Agius Saliba (S&D/FRA) highlighted the “mismatch between the figures of the Commission and the measures” presented by the company, calling the reported levels of non-compliance “extremely concerning”.
It sounds great what you’re doing, but reality is not great — MEP Christel Schaldemose (S&D/DNK)
Concerns were also raised about the role of algorithms in promoting unsafe goods. Several MEPs asked how the platform ensures that recommender systems do not promote illegal or non-compliant products.
Responding to the criticism, Eric Pelletier, Vice President and Head of International Government Affairs for Alibaba Group, defended the company’s efforts and emphasised its cooperation with EU institutions. He stressed a commitment to “respect, transparency”, and full adherence to EU rules.
“Guests in Europe”
Mr Pelletier pointed to a series of measures introduced following the Commission’s investigation, including improved reporting tools, stronger seller verification and enhanced detection of fraudulent practices such as “hidden links”. He also highlighted progress in protecting minors, including the use of AI to blur adult content and stricter controls on sensitive product categories. Even so, he said, “We see ourselves as guests in Europe.”
According to the company, an independent audit found “substantial improvements” in 92 per cent of assessed areas. However, he acknowledged that challenges remain. “We recognise we have much more work to do,” the Alibaba PR chief said, citing the need to prevent the reappearance of illegal listings and strengthen enforcement against non-compliant sellers.
The European Commission designated AliExpress as a VLOP (Very Large Online Platform) in 2023 and formally opened proceedings against it under the Digital Services Act in March 2024. The investigation examines whether the platform failed to properly assess and mitigate systemic risks linked to illegal products. Non-compliance could lead to fines of up to six per cent of the company’s global annual turnover.
Ongoing DSA investigation
Preliminary findings point to shortcomings in several areas, including the spread of harmful goods, insufficient moderation resources and ineffective control of deceptive practices. The aforementioned “hidden links”, used by fraudulent sellers, are but one of them.
We see ourselves as guests in Europe – Eric Pelletier, Vice President and Head of International Government Affairs for Alibaba Group
In June 2025, the Commission accepted a set of binding commitments from AliExpress, requiring improvements in internal monitoring, greater transparency in advertising and recommender systems, and stronger trader traceability. These commitments are now subject to oversight by an independent monitoring trustee.
The investigation into AliExpress continues, with the possibility of a formal non-compliance decision still on the table. For many MEPs, the core issue is no longer regulatory ambition, but EU credibility. As Ms Schaldemose put it during the debate, the key question is: “When can we trust every product sold into the EU?”
