Single Rules for Cross-border Online Trade Will Boost Digital Economy

Only 12 % of EU retailers sell their goods online to another EU country, meanwhile, 37 % of companies sell online on their domestic market. Only one-third of consumers using e-commerce buy online from another EU country. The development of cross-border e-commerce is limited by many barriers. According to surveys of the European Commission, a medium company must pay up to 10 000 EUR to assess the contractual conditions in another EU member state. The European Commission is preparing a proposal for single contract rules for goods and digital content in cross-border e-commerce.

The scope and the main features of the expected proposal were discussed by EU institutions ́ representatives with different stakeholders in the European House in Prague on 21st September. The speakers agreed that there is a need for single, therefore fully harmonized rules for e-commerce in goods and digital content. Otherwise, the fragmentation of national rules will persist in this area. As for business-to-business relations, speakers agreed that there is no need for harmonization. However, the other aspects are also important for better development of e-commerce such as quality and price of cross-border delivery, single rules for labeling of goods and security of payments.

“The EC initiative will cover key mandatory contract law rule so that consumers and businesses will benefit from modern and simple rules for online sales of tangible goods and digital content”, said Simona Constantin, Member of the Cabinet of Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality.