The European Parliament's Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) committee on 6 May 2026 debated market surveillance enforcement, e-commerce platforms for second-hand goods, and the Single Market and Customs Programme, with participants broadly agreeing on the need for stronger enforcement but diverging on flexibility versus parliamentary oversight of EU funds.
Antje Gerstein of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) argued that enforcement, not legislation, is the core weakness, citing understaffed authorities and massive parcel flows. Elisabeth Grossmann (S&D) and Dirk Gotink (EPP) questioned cooperation and governance capacity. The European Commission's DG GROW accepted the diagnosis but pointed to the upcoming European Product Act as a tool to close loopholes.
On second-hand goods platforms, Jessie De La Merced (Vinted) stressed that peer-to-peer resale differs from retail, with 99% private users, and urged proportionate rules. Reka Horvath (DG CONNECT) supported preserving diverse business models. Jorn Palm (Bol) highlighted trust-based competition against global players and called for faster enforcement and interoperable safety tools.
Divergences emerged over flexibility vs. parliamentary control of EU programmes: Adnan Dibrani (S&D) backed a €6.87 billion envelope, while Jeannette Baljeu (Renew) warned against fund shifts without scrutiny. On AI, Gheorghe Piperea (ECR) insisted on human oversight, while Dirk Gotink (EPP) urged an opportunity-based approach.
Consensus existed on strengthening customs capacity, clarifying responsibilities for circular economy actors, and ensuring human oversight in AI. Next steps: platform scrutiny continues before summer, and the Product Act revision will address refurbisher responsibilities.