Retail services

The retail sector is key for the European economy: EU retail services account for 4.2 % of total EU value added and employ no less than 17,4 million citizens.

Retail services are a key intermediary service in the modern economy acting as the conduit between thousands of product suppliers and consumers. Most consumers in Europe benefit from the EU integrated retail market by buying goods from other Member States in their local shops.

The retail sector is also one of the biggest users of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), and thus a driver of innovation. It has a major role to play in the development of a sustainable economy and also in allowing citizens to face the current economic downturn by giving them easy access to affordable and good quality consumables.

Conference: Towards fairer and more efficient retail services for 2020

In the framework of the European Commission’s Retail Market Monitoring Report, the European Commission has organised a conference entitled “Towards fairer and more efficient retail services for 2020” to give all stakeholders the opportunity to express their views on this issue.

The conference was divided into four thematic sessions:

• Session 1 - Accessibility to affordable retail services.
  Access to different retail outlets and development of e-commerce. Commercial property and urban planning.
   
• Session 2 - Towards more sustainable retail solutions.
  Role of retail in consumers' sustainable choices. Convergence of the multitude of quality and ethical schemes. Access to commercial communications and impartial information.
   
• Session 3 - Contractual practices in B2B relationships.
  Contractual practices and their impact on sustainability and innovation. Regulatory and non-regulatory models seeking to address these issues.
   
• Session 4 - Social challenges that the retail sector is facing.
  Importance of the retail sector for the EU employment. Working conditions. Skills /needs mismatch.

• Agenda 
• Summary record of the conference 
• Videostreaming of the conference:
  • Morning session
  • Afternoon session
  
   

Report on barriers hampering more efficient and fairer retail services in Europe

An efficiently operating, competitive EU retail sector, able to work and source across borders, is essential for the achievement of the EU single market.

On 5 July 2010 the Commission adopted a Report “Towards more efficient and fairer retail services in the internal market for 2020”. The report and the accompanying Commission staff working document provide factual and comprehensive analysis of the entire sector so as to identify possible market malfunctioning.

In this report the Commission:

• Analyses the functioning of the entire retail chain from suppliers to consumers by accounting for all the relevant policy objectives be they competitiveness, social, environmental, consumers.
• Identifies a series of issues which may prevent the retail sector realising its full potential.
• Invites all interested parties to provide their views on the identified problems.

• Press release (05.07.2010)
• FAQs
• Retail market monitoring report “Towards more efficient and fairer retail services in the internal market for 2020”
  
• Commission staff working document on retail services in the internal market accompanying the Report on Retail Market Monitoring

A public consultation on the report has been launched to determine the Commission's policy priorities that will be set out in the Single Market Act. The consultation closed on 10 September 2010.

• Consultation 2010
• Conference of 27 October 2010

Consultation in the framework of the Retail Market Monitoring exercise (2009)

In April 2009 the European Commission launched a questionnaire in order to collect qualitative information about problems arising from current national regulatory conditions that apply to retail services across the Member States, and the efficiency of these rules in meeting their underlying public interest objectives. This consultation was closed on 05 June 2009.

• Consultation document

The Communication on Food prices in Europe

Between 2007 and summer 2008 the prices of agricultural products such as cereals and milk increased at an exceptionally high speed. This price increase was largely reflected in higher prices for food. As a result the purchasing power of the average European household declined by around 1 %, with low income household being hit even harder. In light of this, the European Council asked the European Commission to investigate the causes of this surge in food prices.

In December 2008 the Commission adopted a Communication on Food Prices in Europe.

• Press release
• The Communication on food prices