Consumer's Telegram June 2026

Insert of n. 45 - Editorial office: Centro Europeo Consumatori (European Consumer Centre Italy - Bolzano office)

Online shopping safety: €200 million fine imposed on Temu for DSA violations

The European Commission has imposed a substantial €200 million fine on the well-known e-commerce platform Temu. According to investigations conducted under the Digital Services Act (DSA), the marketplace failed to adequately assess and mitigate the risks associated with the sale of illegal and dangerous products. Tests carried out through mystery shopping exercises revealed alarming findings: a very high percentage of the chargers tested failed basic safety requirements, while many children's toys contained chemical substances exceeding legal limits or posed choking hazards. Temu will have until the end of August 2026 to submit a corrective action plan and bring its operations into compliance. For more information.

Simplifying rail travel across Europe: the "One Journey, One Ticket, Full Passenger Rights" proposal

Planning a train journey across multiple European countries could soon become as simple as booking a flight. The European Commission has presented a package of proposals aimed at transforming cross-border rail travel. The goal is to allow passengers to purchase a single ticket for itineraries involving multiple rail operators, reducing the fragmentation of booking systems. The real breakthrough concerns passenger rights: in the event of a missed connection or delay, protection would cover the entire journey, ensuring assistance, reimbursement, or re-routing to the final destination, even when different segments are operated by different railway companies. For further information.

Middle East crisis and transport: EU guidance to protect passenger rights

As geopolitical tensions in the Middle East continue, causing the closure of certain air and maritime routes and disruptions to fuel supplies, the European Commission has published new guidelines for the transport and tourism sectors. Regarding passenger rights, Brussels has clarified a key point: rising fuel prices do not qualify as an “extraordinary circumstance.” Therefore, airlines remain obliged to pay financial compensation to passengers in the event of flight cancellations, unless they can demonstrate that the disruption was caused by a genuine and exceptional local physical shortage of fuel. For further information.

CASE OF THE MONTH

Regulation (EU) 2022/1280 lays down specific and temporary measures concerning driver documents issued by Ukraine in accordance with its national legislation. The Regulation provides that persons benefiting from temporary protection under national law, in line with Directive 2001/55/EC and Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/382, may use their Ukrainian driving licence to drive vehicles within the European Union without the need to present either a translation or an international driving permit.
This month's case concerns the application of these rules. A consumer benefiting from temporary protection had booked a rental car directly through the rental company's website. However, when collecting the vehicle, the rental company refused to hand it over because the consumer did not have an international driving permit. The amount paid was not refunded, as the failure to collect the vehicle was classified as a no-show due to the alleged absence of a valid driving licence.
Unable to resolve the issue directly with the company, the consumer turned to the colleagues at the ECC Poland office, who then transferred the case to ECC Italy. Following the intervention of ECC Italy, the consumer successfully obtained a refund of the amount paid at the time of booking.