Representing e-commerce in Europe

by Wytze Russchen*

Founded by seven leading national e-commerce associations, it now represents the e-commerce business in already nine European countries: Belgium (Becommerce), Denmark (FDIH), Finland (Kauppa), France (Fevad), Italy (Netcomm), the Netherlands (Thuiswinkel.org), Norway (Dinstansehandel Norge), Sweden (Svensk Distanshandel) and Spain (adigital).

Its mission is to advance the interests and influence of e-commerce in Europe through advocacy, communication and networking. Ecommerce Europe has set five general goals: enhancing the success of the European B2C e-commerce industry, provide for a strong and effective representation of B2C e-commerce industry in Brussels, advance the interest of B2C e-commerce industry with relevant stakeholders and institutions, in an environment where e-commerce companies feel at home and with new brand recognition and membership engagement at all levels.

Public Affairs

As a trade association, Ecommerce Europe focuses on public affairs. It analyses and follows up on political and regulatory developments that affect its members, but more importantly it tries to liaise proactively with the European institutions (European Commission, European Parliament, etc.) to defend e-commerce’s interests. To be able to defend these interests, Ecommerce Europe is in a constant dialogue with the national associations and other various e-commerce stakeholders.

Hot topics

Ecommerce Europe has identified three key topics that influence the e-commerce climate: e-regulation, e-payments and e-logistics. Therefore it has created three working committees on these issues. The main goals of these working committees are preparing policy statements, draft white and position papers, provide for networking opportunities and inform European institutions and (inter)national stakeholders.

As for e-regulation, Ecommerce Europe pursues a fair balance between consumer and citizens’ rights and a proper functioning of the digital internal market. Therefore Ecommerce Europe believes that consumer rights throughout Europe must be harmonized at a maximum level and (administrative) burdens and costs for web merchants must be lowered, particularly regarding mandatory consumer information and the right to withdrawal. Ecommerce Europe also believes greatly in the power and the chances of success of self-regulation. The dossiers followed particularly for e-regulation are privacy and data protection, consumer rights, common sales law, alternative & online dispute resolution, digital internal market and online trust marks.

Connected with the evolution towards buying products and/or services online, there has been an obvious change in paying for these products and services as well. The e-payments working committee focuses on an effective and efficient pan-European e-payments landscape, which it thinks to be beneficial for both web merchants and consumers. The key message to the financial industry is to intensify innovation on ‘customer not present’ solutions for e-commerce transactions. This poses various usability and security challenges for both merchants and consumers. The dossiers dealt with regarding e-payments are card based payments and related fraud issues, making existing payment-integration initiatives such as SEPA available for e-commerce, cash-on-delivery services, mobile payments and online identity and authentication.

Although the EU is working on a liberalised postal market since 2008, cross-border postal services remain expensive when compared to national postal fares. Ecommerce Europe’s e-logistics working committee is convinced of the fact that in order to be competitive and raise the stretch zone of web merchants, costs must be diminished.

Future

Ecommerce Europe is eager to increasingly continue defending the e-commerce industry’s interests. In the short period the umbrella organization exists, it has welcomed various new members, business and media partners. Ecommerce Europe was also able to put e-commerce even higher on the political (digital) agenda due to the continuing liaising with relevant stakeholders on an evidence-based way.

* Wytze Russchen is EU Representative of Ecommerce Europe