Brussels, 16/12/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 16 December, a roadmap comprising five key actions on parcel delivery was presented by the European Commission - a communication which takes on its full meaning at a time when numerous parcels will be delivered for Christmas with the boom of online trade.
Nevertheless, while this sector is characterised by “the speed of its take-off and by innovation”, European Commissioner for the Internal Market and Services Michel Barnier recognises “some signs of failure of the market, particularly in the area of cross-border deliveries”. Barnier wants to ensure that online retailers and consumers can enjoy delivery that is “at the same time accessible, good quality and cheap” - regardless of whether this concerns SMEs or regions that are less developed or less accessible.
The roadmap that the Commission proposes particularly addresses the sector for which delivery problems or the return of packages can be corrected. The communication lists the objectives to be reached within a year and a half, and the actions that online retailers, delivery service operators and the Commission can undertake to reach these objectives.
On the one hand, the Commission calls for online consumers and retailers to be better informed, via comparative internet sites, and for the transparency of transnational delivery markets to be improved (on the basis of the directive on postal services). Furthermore, the Commission will ensure that the group of European regulators for this looks into the issue more closely.
On the other hand, the roadmap underlines that more delivery solutions should be proposed - of better quality and less expensive. For this, service operators and retailers should take advantage of the interoperability of parcel delivery activities and make international exchanges more efficient.
Lastly, complaints and appeals should be improved for consumers. In order to do this, the stakeholders should cooperate better in order to deal with complaints and consumer protection systems.
An assessment will be made in the middle of 2015 but the actions will also be conducted in conjunction with the stakeholders. The Commission will organise various meetings on this. (MD/transl.fl)