This will have huge implications in the UK.
Thanks @HendrikLaubscher --I don’t like to put links direct to LinkedIn posts but couldn’t initially find another source for the news.
This marks the end of an era that has been going on from the very beginning of first party vendor relationships. In fact it is the distributors who have greatly assisted Amazon in building out their offerings. You knew it was going to end sooner or later simply given the way the Buy Box works technically and the unit economics .
I also wonder if this is not to aid Brand Registry and clean up unauthorized sales in EU markets.
Today we start with a distributor client looking for more detail on this from Vendor central(wish me luck 
We will register the brands they own and take it from there.
“You helped us build the site, but now we are big enough we don’t need you. So long, and thanks for all the fish!”
Great to see you here @aidanduffy – good luck and thanks for your post!
Yes and Amazon recently updated Brand Registry requirements
-Brand Registry applications must be submitted by the trademark owner.
-If you are an authorised agent, please have the trademark owner enrol the brand first, and add your account as an additional user.
I’n the past Manufacturers or Private Label Brand Owners could register brands
-Distributors with licensed trademarks
-Resellers and people with written permission from a brand owner to manage a product’s detail page on Amazon.