Delegation trip of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce on Market Surveillance in Online Trade
China
From 15 to 19 June 2015, a delegation from various technical departments of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) visited Europe. The objective of the trip was to gather information about measures to monitor product safety in e-commerce and to discuss current developments with their German partners.
The delegation trip, which was prepared and accompanied by the QI-Project, took place in light of the currently undergoing drafting process of a new legal framework for e-commerce in China. MOFCOM, responsible for this process, aims at incorporating best practices from Germany and Europe in their own law-making process.
During a kickoff discussion in Berlin, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) informed the delegation, which was headed by Deputy Director General Li Yongjie, on the legal framework of market surveillance in Germany. Subsequently, both the German legal framework and the ongoing legislative project in China were discussed with representatives from German companies and industry associations such as BITKOM and BEVH.
The delegation also gathered information about the general legal framework of online trade in a meeting with representatives of the German Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection (BMJV).
On June 17, the delegation travelled to Hamburg to visit the German Federal Head Office of Finance (Bundesfinanzdirektion Nord), which outlined the challenges for German customs in the control of postal shipments from China. Subsequent visits to Hermes Hansecontrol and the Hermes Retour Center allowed the delegation to gain insights into practical measures of quality assurance and safety implemented by the German e-commerce industry.
Finally, the delegation visited Brussels to converse with the Commission (DG Grow) on the European legislative framework in these areas and exchanged views with the European Association for Online Commerce (EMOTA) on aspects of legal certainty for European companies that are active in both markets.