European commerce and consumer safety updates

Various economic and consumer developments are impacting the region. In the e-commerce sector, Poșta Română has signed a memorandum of understanding with Temu to provide integrated logistics and last-mile delivery services for Romanian sellers. This comes as European textile federations, led by Euratex, urge the European Commission to increase handling fees for small parcels from Asia to 10 euros per package to combat unfair competition from platforms like Shein and AliExpress.

Regarding consumer safety, InfoCons has issued alerts concerning school supplies. Approximately 70% of flagged items, particularly backpacks and pencil cases often manufactured in China, pose chemical risks due to substances like phthalates, cadmium, and methanol.

Other notable updates include the start of the 2026-2027 school year in Romania on September 7, and reports of price increases in Bulgaria following its transition to the euro, as merchants reportedly rounded prices upward.