Online and offline sales: Equal and fair rights for all consumers

Belgian MEP Pascal Arimont (CSP, EPP) calls for equal consumer rights in all EU Member States, applying to both online and in-store purchases. Today, Mr. Arimont presented his report on the new European directive on the online sale of goods in the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection. He urges for the highest possible degree of harmonisation in this field, including the rules on guarantee. He further wants to expand scope of the proposal to include both online and offline sales.

Mr. Arimont: “The Digital Single Market is rightly one of the top priorities of the current European Commission. The EU urgently needs a common strategy so that SMEs and other businesses can use the digital market to the fullest. Now only 15% of European consumers buys goods from abroad online and only 12% of European businesses offers products online to other EU Member States. Both consumers and entrepreneurs say that a lack of confidence holds them back. The large differences in national contract laws make it difficult for companies to sell their goods abroad. Consumers often have trouble returning, exchanging or recovering damaged goods. Only by ending this maze of national legislations, can we take away the hurdles for international online selling or shopping.”

“The Commission's proposal provides a good start, but we demand a larger scope. If we really want to make things easier for consumers and businesses, we will have to ensure that the same rules apply to both online and offline purchases, including guarantee rules. The European Single Market is a success, so let us extend that success to the Digital Single Market.”