The European Parliament Committee for Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) invited the European Commission and several representatives from European Member State governments to jointly discuss the Digital Single Market (DSM) strategy which has been released by the European Commission earlier this month. The policy makers discussed the main proposals in the strategy and identified main challenges and priorities towards proposing the concrete measures needed to execute the DSM strategy in Europe in the coming years.

Parcel delivery and consumer rules top Commission’s agenda

The exchange of views was crucial to assess the way forward for digital policy in Europe, as the European Parliament aims to bring forward several own-initiative reports about topics in the DSM strategy within the coming months. Different representatives from the Commission explained that they will take immediate action on several areas in the DSM strategy, such as parcel delivery, consumer rules, geo-blocking, and the role of platforms in the e-commerce market. As Claire Bury, Director Internal Market and Services at the European Commission, explained it: “We quickly need to deliver on these areas which are today real hurdles to cross-border e-commerce. We want consumers to be able to shop online wherever they are, and solutions within the DSM strategy are crucial for the growth of the e-commerce sector, and with that the many jobs it creates”.

European Parliament: More action for SMEs and consumers needed

The Members of the European Parliament welcome the initiatives of the Commission but stress that Small and Medium enterprises (SMEs) should be taken into account in all measures the Commission proposes. They asked the European Commission to make sure their digital policy proposals cater to the consumer wants and needs of the future - such as the sharing economy or other disruptive business models. The Chair of the IMCO Committee - Vicky Ford - asserted that: “Digital markets are global marketplaces, and we should not build a fort around the European Union. We also need to remember that the sharing economy and platforms grow because there is a clear consumer need. However, we must not forget how important adequate protection of consumers is to foster consumer trust in cross-border e-commerce”.

Ecommerce Europe initiatives to support the Digital Single Market

Ecommerce Europe supports the European policy makers’ strategy to come closer to completing the Digital Single Market. In fact, many proposals ring similar to the proposals which have long been made by Ecommerce Europe to foster growth in cross-border e-commerce. The association remains in constant dialogue with policy makers and other stakeholders to ensure that the concrete proposals which will now follow from the DSM strategy will take the online merchants’ perspective into account.

Moreover, the association continuously stresses the importance of initiatives coming directly from the market - and not just from policy. Accordingly, Ecommerce Europe develops several market initiatives itself. For instance, in early 2016 the umbrella organisation representing more than 25.000 online merchants will roll out an online platform for e-commerce companies and delivery operators to increase transparency in the parcel delivery market. Also, from June 2015 onwards Ecommerce Europe will roll out a widely available pan-European Trustmark to foster consumers’ trust in cross-border e-commerce.

For more information on the initiatives of Ecommerce Europe, please see the Ecommerce Europe Priority Paper (2015).