Brussels, 20/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - From 2006 to 2008, the proportion of EU consumers that bought at least one item online increased from 27% to 33%, according to a report released on Friday 20 June 2008 by the European Commission, but cross-border e-commerce remained stable at between 6% and 7%. The pattern is similar for consumers with internet access at home - 56% of them made a purchase online (either from their own country or abroad) in 2007/2008, compared with 50% in 2006. As in 2006, this proportion shrinks massively for purchases from abroad (13% in 2007/2008 and 12% in 2006). The figures were compiled from two Eurobarometer surveys and show that while e-commerce is starting to take off on the domestic market, consumers are reluctant to buy from abroad. “These figures underline how much work we still have to do to boost confidence in the online internal market… The potential of the online internal market to deliver greater choice and lower price to consumers and new markets for retailers is considerable. We need to redouble our efforts to tackle the remaining borders,” said EU Consumer Protection Commissioner Meglena Kuneva. Amongst retailers, the cross-border potential of e-commerce seems not to have been fulfilled: 51% of EU27 retailers sell online but only 17% of e-commerce revenue of those who sell to other countries comes from cross-border sales (compared with 16% in 2006). There is an encouraging sign, however, in that of the 37% of consumers polled who say they are confident about buying online from their own country, 57% are equally confident about buying online from abroad, 8% up on 2006. Info: http: //ec.europa.eu/consumers/rights/e-shopping_en.htm (I.L./transl. fl)