Efficient official monitoring of online trade is one of the major challenges for consumer protection in Austria and Europe. Two thirds of Austrians bought everyday goods online in 2023 - and the trend is rising. The BAVG sees international networking as the greatest lever for the efficient expansion of control.

As part of an exchange between the Ministry of Health (BMSGPK), the BAVG and the EU Commission in January 2025, experiences have already been exchanged and possible improvements in the cross-cutting issue of online trade discussed. The common goal of Austria and the EU Commission is to ensure safe products and transparency for consumers in the same way as in bricks-and-mortar retail.

The package of measures now presented by the EU Commission provides for the following cornerstones:

• Customs reform, including a request to the co-legislators to swiftly adopt the proposed reform package for the customs union in order to enable the rapid implementation of new regulations to create a level playing field in the area of e-commerce. This includes the abolition of duty exemption for low-value parcels of less than 150 euros and the strengthening of control options, such as better data exchange and risk assessment. The Commission also calls on the co-legislators to consider further measures, such as a non-discriminatory handling fee for e-commerce items imported into the EU and delivered directly to consumers, to cover the rising costs of monitoring the compliance of billions of such shipments.
• Targeted measures for imported goods, including the introduction of coordinated controls between customs and market surveillance authorities and coordinated product safety measures, such as the first product safety check. This should lead to the withdrawal of non-compliant goods from the market and contribute to the collection of evidence to feed into risk analysis and complementary measures. Future controls will be continuously intensified for specific operators, goods or trade flows based on the risk analysis. The higher the rate of infringements, the greater the vigilance should be in the subsequent phases, while sanctions should reflect cases of systematic infringements.
• Protection of consumers in online marketplaces, emphasising e-commerce practices as a clear enforcement priority under the Digital Services Act, as well as instruments such as the Digital Markets Act and those that apply to all traders: the General Product Safety Regulation, the Consumer Protection Cooperation Regulation and the Consumer Protection Network.
• Use of digital tools that can facilitate the monitoring of the e-commerce landscape through the Digital Product Passport and new AI tools to detect potentially non-compliant products.
• Environmental protection, including the adoption of the first action plan on the Eco-design of Sustainable Products Regulation and the call for the swift adoption of the targeted amendment to the Waste Framework Directive.
• Empowering consumers and traders through awareness-raising campaigns on consumer rights, risks and redress.
• International co-operation and trade, including the provision of training on EU product safety rules and the assessment of any evidence that may arise in relation to dumping and subsidies.