eBay welcomes the European Commission\'s E-commerce Communication, which reflects the Commission\'s strong political will to do whatever it takes to take e-commerce in the EU to the next level. The Commission recognises the great potential of e-commerce for the EU economy, but is also very lucid about the various barriers to its development. Boosting cross-border trade, consumer trust and supporting SMEs in developping their online business are focal points of the announced policy actions. These are also eBay\'s priorities.

Intra-EU trade online is incredibly important for European retailers, big and small. So we welcome any action by EU governments that will help support the growth of e-commerce, particularly the closer alignment of different consumer rights regimes, improvement of reliable delivery systems and increased investment in mobile broadband infrstructure.

As requested by eBay, the Commission will not reopen the E-commerce Directive. Instead, it will work on clarification of the existing Directive, rather than engaging in a lenghty legislative process, and take direct action in several areas. This matches eBay\'s call for smart and flexible regulation of the Internet and bodes well for the online businesses of hundreds of thousands of European entrepreneurs.

See the Communication along with supporting Commission materials