A Greek Member of the European Parliament has called for stronger EU-wide measures to protect consumers from misleading online retail practices, particularly during major discount periods such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Dimitris Tsiodras, an MEP and spokesperson for the New Democracy group in the European Parliament, submitted a formal question to the European Commission asking what actions it intends to take to address "misleading or false discounts" and practices such as hidden charges on digital platforms. His intervention comes amid concerns that existing consumer protection mechanisms may not be sufficiently effective in cross-border online markets.
Citing findings from a recent EU-wide screening of 314 online sales platforms across 23 member states, Tsiodras noted that "30% displayed misleading discounts" during peak shopping events. The same investigation identified additional practices that could influence consumer decision-making. These included attempts to add items to users' online baskets without consent, reported in "4 in 10 cases", as well as insufficient explanations of reference pricing used for comparisons at the point of purchase.
The screening also found that "additional fees such as service or shipping charges" were sometimes concealed until the final stages of the transaction, a practice observed in around "1 in 10 cases". According to Tsiodras, such tactics risk distorting consumer choice and undermining trust in digital marketplaces.
In his questions to the Commission, the Greek MEP asks whether the Commission is considering stronger, more coordinated enforcement tools, particularly in cases where violations affect multiple EU countries. He raises the possibility of introducing "uniform sanctions at EU level" rather than relying on separate national penalties, as part of an ongoing review of the Consumer Protection Cooperation Regulation.
Tsiodras also emphasises the need to improve information-sharing between national authorities and to strengthen coordination between EU and national actions, to make cross-border enforcement more effective.
Adapted from Athens-Macedonian News Agency
