March 2026
Consumer, Competition and Sustainability
Council of the EU approves conclusions on the 2030 consumer agenda
On 26 February 2026, the Council of the EU approved conclusions guiding the Commission on implementing the five-year 2030 consumer agenda, focusing on stronger safeguards, sustainable consumption, enforcement, and simplification.
The conclusions prioritise online consumer protection, including addressing dark patterns and risks from online products, particularly for vulnerable consumers and minors, and call for better enforcement alongside the EU digital rulebook.
They promote sustainable consumption through affordable and trusted circular offers and stress that misleading environmental claims are unfair commercial practices.
They call for stronger cross-border enforcement, improved Commission and national coordination, potential AI use in market surveillance, international cooperation on third-country products, and reduced administrative burdens, particularly for SMEs, while maintaining high consumer protection.
For further information on EU consumer law reform, see our article from Nathalie Koch and Debbie Heywood here.
CAT Registrar publishes notice of collective proceedings application against Apple and Amazon
On 5 March 2026, the Competition Appeal Tribunal ("CAT") published an application to commence collective proceedings against various Apple and Amazon entities.
The application, brought by JLP A&A Class Representative Ltd as the proposed class representative, alleges that Apple and Amazon entered into agreements in 2014 and 2018 that exclude resellers of Apple products from Amazon Marketplace UK based on unobjective and discriminatory criteria, thereby limiting competing brands and their advertising on the Marketplace.
The proposed class comprises UK consumers who bought Apple and Beats electronic products between 31 October 2018 and 15 December 2025, estimated at 28.9 million, and claims an overcharge with estimated damages of £431.2 million to £898.6 million before interest.
The proposed proceedings are substantially similar to the Riefa v Apple and Amazon ones which were rejected by the CAT. The CAT will now decide whether to make a collective proceedings order.
For more on recent key competition law developments in the EU and UK, see our article by Paolo Palmigiano here.
Paris Court of Appeal rejects government request to suspend Shein marketplace
On 19 March 2026, the Paris Court of Appeal rejected the French government's request to suspend Shein’s marketplace in France, upholding a Paris court decision from December 2025.
The case followed findings by France’s consumer watchdog, DGCCRF, in November 2025 that Shein’s marketplace offered sex dolls resembling children and banned weapons, which triggered the State’s application for a three-month suspension.
The Court upheld that Shein may not sell such products again without adequate age verification measures. Shein said it no longer sells adult products in any market and is rolling out age verification for other products.
For more on the approach of the EU, Germany and France on minors, platforms and harmful content, see our article by Nathalie Koch and Julie Dumontet here.
