Brussels, 31/01/2013 (Agence Europe) - The Commission is proposing a strategy to identify and remove barriers to an effectively functioning retail sales sector. It has also introduced a Green Paper on unfair trading practices in the business-to-business food and non-food supply chain.
On Thursday 31 January, the European Commission unveiled an action plan to further stimulate the retail trade, which accounts for 11% of EU GDP, 29% of European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and employs nearly 33 million people. Commissioner Michel Barnier stated that the goal of this initiative was to benefit consumers by removing barriers that are still preventing implementation of an efficient and competitive single retail trade market.
The action plan put on the table is based on five priorities. The strategy first of all aims to empower consumers through better information, which will allow them to compare prices more effectively particularly in e-commerce and evaluate the environmental impact of their purchases. It also seeks to improve accessibility to retail services by promoting an exchange of good practices between member states on commercial and spatial planning. Another objective contained in the action plan is to develop fairer and more sustainable trading relationships along the food and non-food supply chain. The Commission plan is also aimed at ensuring a better link between retail and innovation and creating a better work environment, for example, through better matching the needs of employers and staff skills. This strategy is also accompanied by the setting up of a group of experts in charge of exploring how to boost competitiveness in the sector.
At the same time, the Commission is also launching a consultation on unfair trading practices in the business-to-business food and non-food supply chain. These practices involve one of the contractual parties deliberately concealing information from the other party. This generally occurs when one party finds itself in a weak position and subsequently attempts to unilaterally impose changes to the trade relationship. With the Green Paper published on Thursday, the Commission will now seek to assess the scale of this practice and its damaging impact on the economy and cross-border trade. The consultation will continue until 30 April and will help assessment of whether national measures tackling these unfair trade practices are leading to fragmentation in the internal market. If this proves to be the case, the Commission could possibly introduce legislative initiatives in the middle of this year. In a press release, Commissioner Barnier announced that “unfair trading practices jeopardise the viability of businesses and make the retail supply chain inefficient. Consumers should have competitive prices but I also want suppliers to retail to receive fair prices for their products.” (EH/transl.fl)