Fondation EurActiv organised for Tuesday 3 May a lunchtime Stakeholder Workshop titled “E-Commerce: On the way to a digital single market?“. The workshop was organised with the support of the partnership of Visa Europe.

Programme:

2011 is a crucial year for e-commerce: the European Commission is planning to adopt a Communication on e-commerce in the early summer, while the e-Signature and the e-Commerce Directives are up for revision.
Meanwhile, Commissioner Kroes’s Digital Agenda aims at creating a thriving digital economy in Europe by 2020, powered by a strong ‘digital single market’ in which barriers to the cross-border flow of online services are finally overcome.

• Which provisions under EU law should be reviewed to further enhance online shopping? Which recommendations emerged from the public consultation on the future of electronic commerce conducted by DG MARKT?
• Online security issues as well as misperceptions have affected the development of a single internet market place: is lack of confidence based on perception or reality? How can consumer confidence be enhanced? What is the role for consumer education?
• Only 37% of the EU population buy goods and services online; how can the legal environment be improved to maximise the benefit of the digital revolution for all? Can the target of 50% online shopping penetration be reached by 2015?

Contributors included:

• Detlef ECKERT, Director Lisbon Strategy and Policies for the Information Society, DG INFSO
• Werner STENGG, Head of Unit Online and Postal Services, DG MARKT
• Sandra ALZETTA, Senior Vice-President Innovation and new products, Visa Europe
• Bob SCHMITZ, EU Counsel, Union Luxembourgeoise des Consommateurs
• Stefan KRAWCZYK, Senior Director and Counsel Government Relations, eBay

Moderator: Julian OLIVER, Secretary General, Fondation EurActiv
Chair: Rick ZEDNÍK, CEO, EurActiv

On the issue of E-Commerce – the EU Commission, companies and consumer groups find themselves in full agreement with one another at a recent EurActiv Workshop. See the video below.