03 June Official request sent to the EU Commission: EU must make origin visible in online trade!
Press release
Felix Schimke-Klubuk calls for transparency when it comes to indications of origin in online retail
Weilheim-Schongau / Brussels, 23 May 2025 - The ÖDP district association Weilheim-Schongau welcomes a recent request to the European Commission, which draws attention to a pressing problem in online trade: Consumers in the EU currently have hardly any opportunities to find specific products "Made in EU" or to reliably identify the origin of goods when shopping online.
This initiative goes back to a conversation that Felix Schimke-Klubuk from Weilheim had with MEP Manuela Ripa (ÖDP) in mid-March of this year during a visit to Brussels with the ÖDP district association Weilheim-Schongau. This exchange has now resulted in an official request to the European Commission.
Origin often opaque - despite clear EU requirements
According to the two, online marketplaces often violate Article 6 of the EU Consumer Rights Directive (2011/83/EU), which stipulates that key product characteristics - including the country of origin - must be stated. Instead of transparency, however, algorithms dominate, often favoring products from third countries, while EU products are disadvantaged in digital competition.
"Consumers who want to consciously choose European products or avoid imports from countries with questionable environmental, social or safety standards are currently facing major hurdles," says Felix Schimke-Klubuk. "The lack of origin filters is not only a transparency problem, but also a disadvantage for our regional economy and European industry as a whole."
Manuela Ripa also emphasizes: "European producers must not be put at a disadvantage in the digital space due to a lack of labelling. The EU has clear guidelines - now it's a matter of consistently demanding their implementation, including from large platforms."
Specific questions to the Commission
The question addressed to the EU Commission covers three key points:
(1) Is the Commission aware that the origin of products is not reliably indicated on many large online marketplaces - and does this constitute a breach of the Consumer Rights Directive?
2. is the lack of origin filters seen as a restriction of consumer choice and a distortion of competition in the internal market?
3. does the Commission plan to take legislative steps to oblige large online retailers to introduce clear origin filters and thus strengthen the strategic autonomy of the EU industry?
ÖDP calls for improvements at European level
The ÖDP district association Weilheim-Schongau is committed to a fair, sustainable and transparent economy. This includes ensuring that consumers have the same rights and opportunities in the digital space as in bricks-and-mortar retail. "The Commission is now called upon to create a real level playing field for European manufacturers and to strengthen consumer protection in online retail," says Markus Kunzendorf, co-chair of the district association.
"As an EU, we must ensure that our consumers can understand where a product comes from - this is a question of freedom of choice, but also of fair competitive conditions for our domestic companies. Since the beginning of my work in Parliament, I have been committed to 'Made in Europe', because only with clear indications of origin and fair conditions - also online - can we strengthen European companies and defend our high standards in environmental, social and consumer protection," concludes the MEP of the Ecological Democratic Party.