Recently, a group of 12 eBay European small business sellers joined eBay CEO Jamie Iannone, the eBay Government Relations team, and other senior eBay executives for a week of advocacy in Brussels, Belgium. Sellers from Germany, France, Portugal, Finland, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, Cyprus, and Spain met with EU policymakers to share how eBay enables them to grow and reach new markets. The group of sellers represented a variety of new and second-hand categories like car parts, collectibles, industrial solutions, food, and luxury goods. Together, they highlighted how complicated regulations impact their small businesses.
Complex regulations are negatively impacting the creation and growth of small and medium sized enterprises in the EU. Our SME sellers share our concern and we are privileged to get to help our sellers advocate for a simplified and more competitive EU single market.
-Samantha Wellington, eBay Chief Legal Officer
Many spoke of how the complex, fragmented Extended Producer Responsibility Framework (EPR) complicates compliance with their obligations in all 27 EU Member States and hinders growth in the EU Single Market. As a potential solution, they made the case for a more balanced, competitive, and simplified single market: a “one-stop shop” portal to simplify EPR processes and reduce costs. Discussions also covered maintaining a free market for car parts under the End of Life Vehicles legislation, and considerations for second-hand products and individual parcel shipments in the Customs Reform package.
By partnering with EU policymakers we can establish a fair and open marketplace for the small businesses that drive economic opportunity for the EU.
- Cathy Foster, VP Global Government Relations
In total, the group met with more than 30 officials across the European Commission, Parliament, and Council, representing 13 Member States.
At eBay, we are committed to making cross-border trade easier for our European sellers. Our goal is to create an environment where both eBay and our SMEs can thrive and continue delivering value and innovation to customers across the EU and beyond.
- Oliver Klinck, VP & GM, Europe and International Markets
eBay also held several events to amplify our role as a small business enabler that creates economic opportunity in the EU. The week kicked off with an eBay in 2025 celebration showcasing our history, sellers, and their products. Over 150 members of the Brussels policy community and media attended. We also hosted a fireside chat with Jamie Iannone and Danish Seller Kristian Rauter of Buy2Sell (second-hand electronics retailer) talking about the importance of legislation that supports the EU circular economy.
Finally, the Government Relations Team launched a new report detailing how eBay is fostering vibrant small business communities and growth in many remote and/or economically-disadvantaged regions across Europe.
The eBay Government Relations team would like to thank everyone who helped make this week a success, especially our fantastic and dedicated sellers who took the time to travel to Brussels and advocate on behalf of eBay small businesses across Europe. To support recommerce and the circular economy, we will continue to advocate for legislation that lowers regulatory barriers for our EU small sellers.
Learn more about eBay’s efforts to help European Small Businesses Sellers here.