ECB's Vujcic Expects Inflation to Slow to 2% Target by Year-End
Consumer-price growth will hit the European Central Bank's 2% target by the end of 2025, according to Governing Council member Boris Vujcic.
'We expect inflation to continue to fall, and in some months the inflation could even stall, but the trend won't be stopped,' he told HRT1 in a television interview on Saturday.
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‘We don't want to be a niche brand': Seaweed is taking plastic out of stadiums and sandwich boxes
If you're lucky enough to be seeing Beyoncé at Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London this month, chances are your concert snacks will come in a container made out of seaweed. Notpla, the company which makes seaweed-based packaging to replace single-use plastics, has gone from strength to strength since winning the Earthshot Prize in 2022, bagging a prize of €1 million in the global environmental award created by the UK's Prince William. The venture started with its two French and Spanish founders, Pierre Paslier and Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez, experimenting in their student kitchen while at Imperial College London. Now, Notpla has replaced more than 21 million items of single-use plastic across Europe, and is aiming to displace 1 billion units by 2030. In order to make a real dent in the insidious issue of plastic pollution, the 'disappearing packaging' solution is being rolled out in new venues and fashioned into new shapes and sizes. We caught up with chief revenue officer Lise Honsinger, Notpla's first employee in 2017, to find out more. Related Nappies, smartphone glass, and cigarette butts are piling up in Europe. How can we recycle them? Notpla's prototype was an edible water capsule called Ooho. It garnered viral interest in 2017, which Honsinger partly attributes to a 'zeitgeist' of plastic pollution awareness. The start-up partnered with Lucozade to replace 36,000 plastic bottles at the London Marathon in 2019. Then COVID hit, events stopped, and the company pivoted to focus on seaweed coatings for food packaging which make takeaway boxes compostable like fruit peel. In partnership with Just Eat, Notpla's packaging was used at the UEFA Women's Final at Wembley Stadium, London in 2022. From seven types of folded carton board boxes that year, it has grown into a catalogue of over 50 different designs. 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European consumer groups accuse Shein of using 'dark patterns'
Online fast fashion retailer Shein is facing a complaint lodged by the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) and its 25 member groups from 21 countries. The complaint, submitted to the European Commission (EC) and consumer protection authorities across Europe, accuses Shein of employing manipulative tactics known as "dark patterns". These strategies allegedly coerce customers into making unintended purchases, exacerbating both the environmental harm and societal issues inherent in the fast fashion sector. The accusation is grounded in recent research conducted by BEUC's members throughout Europe, which highlights how such illicit practices not only lead to involuntary consumer expenditure but also perpetuate the distribution of potentially hazardous clothing items within Europe. The tactics undermine consumer efforts to support a more sustainable and environmentally conscious economy. In February 2025, the EC initiated its own investigation into Shein's adherence to EU consumer law. By May, it had called on Shein to align with EU consumer regulations and cease employing the "dark patterns". The complaint urges the EC and consumer protection authorities to demand that Shein cease using deceptive methods such as "confirm-shaming" [pressuring users into confirming a choice by making the "no" option seem negative or unpleasant]. emotional manipulation, infinite scrolling and "nagging," all of which are deemed unfair commercial practices under the EU's Unfair Commercial Practices Directive. It also urged the company to present proof that customer testimonials and "low stock" alerts are authentic. If it is unable to do so, Shein should be instructed to stop these practices. If Shein fails to take corrective measures, the authorities are called upon to intervene to protect consumers from serious harm until Shein complies with EU consumer law. The complaint also addresses the broader issue of "dark patterns" in the fast fashion industry, urging authorities to investigate other retailers engaging in similar unfair practices. BEUC director general Agustín Reyna stated: 'Shein's use of 'dark patterns' is a well-documented reality, which has been going on for several years now as BEUC members' research reveals. They make consumers spend ever more money on fast fashion products, that are harmful to themselves, the environment and the people that produce them. 'This ultra-fast fashion model is fuelled by manipulative practices that pressure consumers into buying ever more. Shein is designed to be addictive: it is driven by powerful algorithms to maximise consumer engagement and over-spending. We expect a strong and swift response from authorities to put an end to Shein's manipulative practices and to begin an industry-wide investigation'. In May 2025, Shein received validation of its net zero greenhouse gas emissions targets from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). "European consumer groups accuse Shein of using 'dark patterns'" was originally created and published by Retail Insight Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
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Klarna boss: AI will lead to recession and mass job losses
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