09/03/2018

EMOTA, the European e-Commerce and Omni-Channel Trade Association appointed Frederik Palm as Chairman for the next 3 years. Palm, a German national, succeeds Jörgen Bödmar of Sweden, who was Chairman for the last 5 years. Frederik Palm is Board member of the bevh, the German e-commerce association.

“I feel excited and privileged to take this role at a crucial period for e-commerce”, says Frederik Palm. “The e-commerce sector is going through a period of strong growth, while we are confronted with a large amount of new EU regulations. It is EMOTA’s objective to advise the European policy makers on all aspects of the e-commerce economy and how legislation should help, not hinder the development of the sector. I also look forward to preparing the new European Commission, which will start a programme for the digital economy after its appointment next year.”

The appointment was made on 7 March during the association’s Annual General Meeting in Brussels. In conjunction with the AGM, EMOTA hosted the 9th Annual e-Commerce Conference on 8 March.

The AGM also appointed Ken Moon of UK’s FSB as Treasurer and Florinel Chis of Romania’s ARMO as Chief Technology Advisor. The latter is a new position created to identify the technologies of the future and the policy implications they may generate

Profile

Mr Frederik Palm is an experienced management professional with advanced knowledge in general management disciplines based on international standards; more than twenty-five years ́ experience in direct marketing, the publishing industry and eCommerce.

He is Member of the Board of the Bundesverband E-Commerce und Versandhandel Deutschland e.V. (bevh) and served from 2009 to 2016 as the Chairman of the German online Bookseller´s Association.  

5/12/2017

EMOTA welcomes today’s approval by European Members of new VAT rules that would simplify life for web shops. One of the new rules will allow web shops to pay all VAT in their home country, rather than in the country of the consumer.  The new rules are therefore also branded as “VAT One Stop Shop”.  

Some uncertainty still exists over the application date.  EMOTA therefore calls upon the European Commission  to ensure the reforms will be quickly enforced. 

Maurits Bruggink Secretary General: The fragmentation in VAT rules is one of the most important barriers to the Single Market, and a major competitive disadvantage for sellers. Most webshops have difficulties in dealing with the red tape and legal requirements involved with paying VAT in another Member State.  

EMOTA also calls on policy makers to launch as soon as possible the consultations with the stakeholders in order to identify the best solutions for the challenges that some of the proposed measures will bring – including the liability for intermediaries to collect VAT, or the compliance for third country sellers.

27/11/2017

The EU Commission proposed today a new set of security requirements for online payments aimed to combat fraud.  They will make it more difficult for consumers to buy online and for sellers to take payments. Unnecessary, say webshops.

Online sales have grown over the last 5 years with double digits.  This is the result of consumer trust and experience. For the past years sellers have invested in numerous solutions to combat fraud in online payments while providing a very good customer experience and the effects are clearly visible, fraud levels have decreased significantly while the number of transactions have increased. The new requirements, to come into effect as of mid-2019, are not needed, will introduce new burdens for sellers and have minimal effects on fraud. 

Maurits Bruggink the EMOTA Secretary General said “eCommerce is about smooth customer experience.  The current fraud levels are very low and do not justify to oblige every consumer to use bank card and a card reader for every transaction”. 

EMOTA is concerned of the 30 EUR threshold above which very stringent security measures would be imposed, obliging consumers to use additional elements to approve transactions (code generators, etc.) or be exempted from this obligation if they comply with a number of extremely stringent criteria.  

EMOTA calls on policy makers to ensure that the new rules acknowledge and reward sellers that invest in the best security measures to protect their customers. Currently the proposal does not take into consideration the individual shop performance but uses aggregate figures. 

Timeline: 

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Contact

Maurits Bruggink

EMOTA Secretary General

About EMOTA 

The European Multi-Channel and Online Trade Association, EMOTA, is the voice of online and distance sellers in the EU. EMOTA represents online and distance sellers from 19 markets.

22/11/2017

Yesterday, the EU agreed on the new Geoblocking Regulation, which will force sellers to accept orders from non-domestic consumers. Whilst some safeguards were inserted into the text, EMOTA fears that in the case of a dispute between a trader and a consumer, the applicable rules of the country where the consumer resides will apply. 

Maurits Bruggink, EMOTA Secretary General, said: “The Regulation doesn’t reflect the market realities. Should a small shop now be forced to deal with the challenges of selling all over Europe? What if a Portuguese consumer buys from a Danish shop and wants to complain, in what language will that happen? Legal experts agree that whatever the safeguards, this Regulation will not prevent the application of the consumer rules”, adding “We pointed to the obvious. We don’t have harmonised consumer rules, we don’t have a harmonized payments landscape and it is too complex for small sellers to deal with pan-EU delivery services. Policy-makers via this Regulation are giving up on the Single Market and forcing sellers to enact it at their own expense”.

08/11/2017

Today the EMOTA Board accepted with great pleasure as its new member the Italian e-commerce association AICEL (Associazione Italiana Commercio Elettronico).

Andrea Spedale, Chairman of AICEL; “We are very pleased to join EMOTA, as it will offer our association a number of important benefits. The Italian e-commerce market is growing fast and Italian webshops are ever more trading across borders to consumers in other parts of the EU Internal Market.  It is important for them how they can anticipate European market and regulatory developments to continue their expansion and international sales. Joining EMOTA also confirms AICEL as the representative association for the Italian e-commerce sector”

Manuela Borgese, AICEL’s legal counsel and association coordinator; “Most of the rules and regulations affecting webshops in Italy now originate in Brussels.  EU legislation is covering or is about to cover issues like data protection, online consumer rights, VAT, electronic payments, parcel delivery to name a few. Membership of EMOTA allows us not only to get access to information and analysis on these matters, it also enhances the ability of us to influence EU decision making to the benefit of webshops in Italy.”

EMOTA Secretary General Mr Maurits Bruggink: “We are extremely pleased to welcome AICEL as a member in our family of non-for profit associations that represent a sustainable e-commerce sector.  Italy is one of the most important e-commerce markets in Europe and is off-course a political heavy-weight in the European Union. We are also pleased to welcome AICEL Chairman Andrea Spedale in the Board.”

The EMOTA Board also appointed Oliver Hateley as Senior Policy advisor, who will be working along existing staff: Maurits Bruggink, Secretary-General, Razvan Antemir, Director Government Affairs and Kincso Dvoracsko, Association Manager.

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Contact

Maurits Bruggink

EMOTA Secretary General

Maurits@emota.eu

emota.eu; +32 2 213 74 20

@emota_ecommerce

Manuela Borgese

Legal Counsel

Italian E-Commerce Association

+ 39 03 0358 03 78

manuela.borgese@aicel.org

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About

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AICEL

AICEL is the only National Association of E-Commerce Companies in Italy. The associates are only merchants who are offering their services and products on-line.

Active since 2004 as an online forum and since September 2007 as a trade association, AICEL has among its members more than 1,200 companies that represent the genuine Italian eCommerce.  Members include Italian international, as well as small, medium and micro-sized companies of excellence.

Over the years it has reached more than 5000 merchants and more than 25,000 operators in the sector, creating the main eCommerce network in Italy.  AICEL also operates a reputable national trustmark.

EMOTA

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The European Multi-Channel and Online Trade Association, EMOTA, is the voice of online and distance sellers in the EU. EMOTA represents online and distance sellers from 19 markets.

28 August 2017

Survey shows: web shops thrive in data economy

72% of shops use customer data for marketing

81% of shops do email marketing

92% of shops do advertising on internet media

1 on 2 shops generate more than 20% of sales through 3rd party advertising

77% of shops uses cookies

Top 3 uses of cookies: shopping basket, language setting, payment setting

A Europe wide survey among web shops has underlined the important use of customer data for web shops. The survey was carried out by EMOTA in the 3rd week of July and is based on close to 300 submissions around Europe. Its main findings:

The vast majority of webshops use consumers’ data, which is most usually collected thanks to cookies.

Data is not only used for marketing and sales, but extensively used for the functionality of the web site, like the shopping basket, fraud detection, language settings, search function, currency settings a.o.

81% of webshops do email marketing, which requires specified information about the consumers’ preferences through data collection.

The quasi-totality of webshops uses internet media for advertisement. The use of consumer’s data and cookies is crucial in Internet media marketing.

3d party advertisement is estimated to represent a significant portion of webshop sales.

"We have to embrace the data economy" comments Jörgen Bodmar, EMOTA Chairman « It offers web shop visitors a smooth and seamless experience, while allowing webshops to reach out to customers in a targeted way. It is a win-win for consumers and retailers.  In the current discussions in the European Union about data privacy, we should ecourage regulators to develop a favourable environment for the use of data in our digital economy ».

Webshops are currently preparing to comply with the General Data Privacy Regulation (GDPR), which will enter into force in Spring 2018.  In parallel, the EU has proposed a ePrivacy Regulation which, like the GDPR, will strongly restrict data collection and use.  This proposal will be discussed by the European Parliament and Member States in the 2nd half of 2017. EMOTA will continue its advocate its positive message about the importance of a framework that encourages the use of data in the digital economy. 

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SURVEY RESULTS

Below are the results of a survey carried out in July 2017 among webshops in Europe on the relevance of customer data use.  Main findings:

72% of shops use personal data from customers, like gender, preferences, previous purchases, a.o. in order to market products. 

Sales are lost if a shop cannot use personal data of costumers and/or prospective costumers.

0-10%: 28.6%

10-20%: 25.6%

20-50%: 30.2%

more than 50%: 15.6%

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81% of shops do email marketing, like sending product offers, information on sales.

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76.5% of shops use cookies to collect personal data from webshop visitors

94% of shops do some sort of adverting.

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The main channels of advertising are below.​

Internet media 92.3%

TV 12.9%

Radio 6.5%

Printed media 38.7%

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3rd Party Advertising generates the following proportion of sales for webshops.

0-10%: 24.8%

0-20%: 24.3% 

20-50% 31.9% 

more than 50%: 19.0%

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Cookies are used for the following purposes:

Language setting 54.0%

Payment settings 48.8%

Fraud detection 31.8%

Shopping baskets 72.0%

Delivery settings 43.1%

Product sorting in websites 28.9%

Product recommendations 31.3%

Abandoned shopping carts software 31.8%

Internal search engine 39.8%

Currency 28.9%

Payments according to country 24.1%

Address formats in checkout 32.7%

Pre-filled country of destination 23.2%

Predefined shipping rates 22.3%

Choice of shipping agents 16.1%

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You can dowload here the release. 

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Contact

Maurits Bruggink

EMOTA Secretary General

Maurits@emota.eu

emota.eu; +32 471 06 47 86

@emota_ecommerce

About EMOTA: The European Multi-Channel and Online Trade Association, EMOTA, is the voice of online and distance sellers in the EU. EMOTA represents online and distance sellers from around Europe, with member associations in 19 countries and both corporate and supplier members. EMOTA interacts with the European institutions to improve trading conditions and regulations.

20 July 2017

On 18 July 2017, the European eCommerce & Omni-Channel Trade Association (EMOTA) adopted its position on Brexit, entitled: “A Brexit that Works for the E-Commerce Industry”, outlining the main concerns of its members and key challenges.  eCommerce is a significant component of the trade relations between the EU27 and the UK which cannot be ignored and has a direct effect on many SMEs across the EU. The adjustments required by Brexit will likely be far reaching: from adjusting websites according to different consumer information requirements to issues relating to the shipment of products between the EU and UK. 

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The re-introduction of customs procedures in particular, the costs and complexity of adapting to these new procedures, and the likely delays which may arise may stifle growth and ambition. With the EU’s Business to Consumer e-commerce market accounting for 540 billion euros, it is essential that we have a Brexit that works for the e-commerce industry. Thus, EMOTA’s strong preference is for the UK and the EU to retain as close a relationship as possible. 

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EMOTA’s Secretary General, Maurits Bruggink: “given the complexities and importance of these negotiations, an eCommerce Task Force, including government and stakeholders from across the supply chain must be created as soon as possible to propose pragmatic and durable solutions to the sector specific challenges outlined in our position paper, supporting the work of the European Commission Task Force throughout the negotiations”.

Contacts:

Maurits Bruggink

EMOTA Secretary General

Maurits@emota.eu

emota.eu; +32 471 06 47 86

@emota_ecommerce

4 July 2017

EMOTA, the European e-Commerce and Omni-channel trade association welcomes ERA Europe as its latest new member.  Both retail organisations have a strong interest in the development of a Digital Single Market that is favourable to business. The EMOTA voice in Brussels will become stronger to promote the issues of common interest.

Dr. Julian Oberndörfer,  Chief Executive Officer of the Electronic Retailing Association Europe: We are very pleased to join EMOTA which will provide our members with unrivalled access to a number of benefits, including excellent connections in Brussels, vast knowledge and experience in the area of Public Affairs as well as specialised knowledge of the e-commerce sector. ERA Europe's Membership of EMOTA closes the missing link for the Multi-Channel Home Shopping industry. We see a large overlap of business activities between ERA Europe and EMOTA which our member companies can enhance with their specialist expertise in sales via video, direct marketing, live TV channels and infomercials.

EMOTA Secretary General Mr Maurits Bruggink: “This new membership is a perfect fit. We notice a convergence of various distribution channels and the home shopping industry is a successful, new distribution channel that has many interests in common with e-commerce.  We both address consumers off-premise and have similar issues in consumer protection, data privacy, parcel delivery, electronic payments and many others. We both share the ambition to persuade European policymakers to recognise the benefits that our new distributional models bring to our society and that they need a business friendly environment in which to thrive.’

Contact

Maurits Bruggink

EMOTA Secretary General

Maurits@emota.eu

emota.eu; +32 471 06 47 86

@emota_ecommerce

Dr. Julian Oberndörfer

Chief Executive Officer ERA Europe

joberndoerfer@era-europe.eu

Press | Amanda Justice, ajustice@era-europe.eu Tel.: + 49-8151-55 66 480

About EMOTA: The European Multi-Channel and Online Trade Association, EMOTA, is the voice of online and distance sellers in the EU. EMOTA represents online and distance sellers from around Europe, with member associations in 19 countries and both corporate and supplier members. EMOTA interacts with the European institutions to improve trading conditions and regulations.

About Electronic Retailing Association Europe: The Electronic Retailing Association Europe (ERA Europe) is the Association for the Multi-Channel Home Shopping Industry. ERA Europe is the voice and network for businesses that offer innovative products to consumers through audio visual presentation, the internet and other electronic media, according to a recognised code of ethics. ERA Europe advocates and supports the interests of our members and their customers in Europe and the Middle East. Currently ERA Europe represents the interests of 70 European and Middle Eastern members. Please refer to: www.era-europe.eu  for further information.

25 April 2017

The European Parliament IMCO Committee adopted on 25 April the Report on the draft Geo-blocking Regulation by MEP Roza Thun. While MEPs have tried to resolve some of the issues that would negatively affect online retailers, the EU Parliament amendments seem not to entirely address the issues raised by EMOTA. 

Maurits Bruggink the EMOTA Secretary General said “We appreciate the openess and efforts of MEPs to address the issues raised by EMOTA. We appreciate that, for example, in the case of payments, MEPs have introduced additional safeguards for online retailers. Also, we support the removal of B2B transactions from the scope of this Regulation. “

“However, we are dissapointed that our members will in the end have to face an obligation to sell, instead of being incentivized to sell cross-border. “ adds Bruggink “The measures proposed by the EU Parliament and Council in the area of applicable law might not go far enough in securing legal certainty and this will become an issue for the courts”. 

"Furthermore, the Parliament, just like the Council, proposed that sellers collect consent for automatic re-routing, and keep that consent permanently unless they want to collect consent each time. This is not a future proof solution and will result in higher compliance costs for SMEs and micro-enterprises”.

EMOTA encourages policy makers to use the trialogue as a last opportunity to address the core issues around this Regulation and avoid the significant negative effects on the Digital Single Market.

 You can find here the latest EMOTA position.

29 March 2017

EMOTA is delighted to welcome in Membership the Ukrainian IT Association. The Association represents the Ukrainian IT outsource sector, including eCommerce. 

Maurits Bruggink, EMOTA Secretary General: “We are very happy to welcome the Ukrainian IT Association as an EMOTA Member. eCommerce and the digital economy are growing fast in Ukraine and there is an important opportunity for new business. As eCommerce becomes an increasingly global there is also potential for the EMOTA EU Members to find services and support for their operations in markets such as Ukraine”. 

Yury Antoniuk, President of the Ukrainian IT Association: “Ukrainian companies bring a very competitive offer to the table, IT driven, connected to the most modern solutions and ready to provide high quality services not only to the domestic market but also cross-border to the wider EU space. As Members of EMOTA we aim to foster best practice sharing with the EU Market and raise awareness of both the potential and challenges of the Ukrainian digital economy”.

You can find out more about the Ukrainian IT Association via this link. 

17 January 2017

The European eCommerce & Omni-Channel Trade Association (EMOTA) is delighted to announce its latest corporate member – Alibaba Group.

 Alibaba Group's mission is to make it easy to do business anywhere. The company is the largest online and mobile commerce company in the world in terms of gross merchandise volume. Founded in 1999, the company provides the fundamental technology infrastructure and marketing reach to help businesses leverage the power of the Internet to establish an online presence and conduct commerce with hundreds of millions of consumers and other businesses.

EMOTA’s President, Jörgen Bödmar, welcomes Alibaba Group to EMOTA, adding: “With in-depth expertise and experience in global e-commerce, omni-channel marketing and related fields, Alibaba will not only strengthen EMOTA’s advocacy position, but also provide us with a worldview on how to tackle emerging trends and issues in these areas.”

Responding to Mr. Bödmar, Eric Pelletier, Vice President, Head of Alibaba Group International Government Relations said: “Our decision to join EMOTA reflects our desire to be an engaged and constructive partner for European companies and policymakers in Brussels. Europe is an important and growing market for us and through EMOTA we can support a better regulatory environment for European businesses and consumers.”

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For more information on the Alibaba Group please click here.

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Contact

Maurits Bruggink

maurits(at)emota.eu 

+32 2 213 74 20

21 December 2016

EMOTA strongly opposes the obligation to sell to non-domestic consumers in the proposed EU Commission Regulation on Geo-blocking. EU policy makers should first provide businesses and consumers with a true Digital Single Market before launching in such initiatives. The fragmentation in taxation rules, payments, delivery solutions, consumer protection rules and many others remain important and costly barriers to cross-border eCommerce. Being far from a solution, this Regulation only forces sellers, and ultimately consumers, to pay the price for not having a Single Market.

EMOTA welcomes the more realistic approach by MEP Roza Thun, Rapporteur on the Geo-blocking proposal in the European Parliament. Thun proposes some positive amendments which: 

1. Ensure that seller’s law applies if sales take place in sellers’ territory;

2. Ensures high transparency in re-routing without a consent requirement;

3. Exclude B2B sales from the scope of this proposal;

Maurits Bruggink, EMOTA Secretary General said: “MEP Thun made some very important steps forward towards clarity and legal certainty in the Geo-blocking Regulation. We welcome the approach based on simple legal solutions for the rules that will apply to these transactions and hope this would receive the necessary support. We also welcome the clarifications around the B2B transactions. There are areas where improvements are necessary, the case for payments where it is important to be able to confirm a payment and not only the initiation of the payment before shipping the goods. We must not forget that sellers are still forced in this Regulation to sell to non-domestic consumers which will come at a cost for both, these costs will always be higher for smaller companies. We therefore would insist that micro-enterprises are excluded from such burdensome obligations. We are keen to work with the EU Parliament to improve the text.”

Contact 

Maurits Bruggink

EMOTA Secretary General 

maurits@emota.eu 

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You can find here the latest EMOTA position on the EU Commission proposal.

1 December 2016

The EU Commission published today a set of proposals extending the EU One Stop Shop for VAT to the sale of goods cross-border. Companies selling cross-border for up to 10000 would only be required to deal with their national tax authority and apply the VAT rules from their country. Simplified rules would also be introduced for sales up to 100000. In terms of promoting a level playing field, the package also introduces a mechanism for third country sellers to become VAT compliant and enables the use of a simplified set of documentation requirements (home rules) for online sellers across the EU.

Maurits Bruggink: “VAT fragmentation is the single most important barrier to the Digital Single Market. You can’t expect an efficient and vibrant digital economy to be mirrored by an equally inefficient outdated paper based system. That’s why we welcome the EU Commission’s proposals and hope the Council will back this proposal and help enable SMEs to trade across borders. As the devil is in the details we are keen to analyze in more detail the EU Commission proposals and work with the policy makers to improve these”.

14 November 2016

Businesses across all sectors strongly support the Council's efforts to make the Single Market a reality.

Focus must be on removing persistent barriers to free movement through greater harmonisation and stronger enforcement of single market rules. Removing the well known legal and regulatory barriers is the best way to encourage cross-border provision and establishment abroad. 

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While supporting the geo-blocking regulation's general aim to allow all customers to browse and buy from any website without discrimination under the same terms and conditions, we call for greater legal clarity. This is an area where business and consumers interests are strongly intertwined. Both need to feel reassured on which rules apply when trading and buying across borders. Truth is one of the conditions to be able to deliver a fully functioning Digital Single Market and truly boost cross-border e-commerce. 

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We salute the Presidency's and the Council's effort to seek more legal clarity, in particular regarding payments, after-sales services and traders' freedom to have different commercial offers across different sales channels in different countries. However, there is a need for greater legal clarity regarding the scope of application of the geo-blocking Regulation and law applicable to a contract.

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It is of crucial importance that this proposal is not rushed, as it could have far-reaching implications for companies. We believe the Council should take more time to find appropriate legal solutions, in particular on the fundamental Article 1(5). This not least as the European Parliament has yet to make much progress on its consideration of the proposal. 

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To see the joint letter, please click here

3 November 2016

The European eCommerce & Omni-Channel Association is pleased to announce the latest addition to its ever-growing eCommerce family with its new member – the Business Confederation of Macedonia (BCM).

The Business Confederation of Macedonia, established in 2001, has a membership of 8500 companies associated in 13 business associations. As an association of employers, it not only represents the interests of its members and the wider business community in the country, but also acts as a catalyst for business expression: through supporting entrepreneurship and SMEs, promoting skills and education, improving the business environment, and promoting sustainability and long-term growth of companies.

EMOTA’s Secretary General, Maurits Bruggink, welcomes the Business Confederation of Macedonia and is excited by the prospect of working with an association based in one of Europe’s developing e-commerce markets, adding: “with the BCM opting to join EMOTA, this not only boosts EMOTA’s knowledge base and geographical reach, but also our reputation as the industry association of eCommerce in Europe. We look forward to exchanging best practices with the BCM, as well as gaining a strong understanding of the Macedonian eCommerce market”.

Following the approval of the BCM’s membership application, the Executive President of the Business Confederation of Macedonia, Mile Boskov stated: “we are delighted to become a member of EMOTA. With such a combined pool of knowledge and advocacy expertise, becoming an EMOTA member offers a great opportunity for our members to gain a firm understanding of the political and regulatory landscape in the EU, as well as a unique opportunity to engage in best practice sharing with 17 other eCommerce markets. We look forward to working with EMOTA and bringing a Macedonian dimension to its diverse membership base”.

To read more about the BCM, please click here.

25 October 2016

The European eCommerce & Omni-Channel Association is delighted to announce the latest addition to its membership – the Association of Romanian Online Stores (ARMO).

ARMO, the representative association of online stores in Romania, is a vibrant e-commerce association which has at its core the objectives of developing online trade in Romania as a modern and efficient method of commerce, supporting online stores and the e-commerce environment locally, developing a code of best practices and a certification program for online stores, and representing the interests of its members in front of national, local, and supranational authorities.

EMOTA’s President, Jörgen Bödmar, welcomes ARMO and looks forward to working with an association located in one of Europe’s fastest growing e-commerce markets, adding: “with a vast knowledge of the Romanian e-commerce market, ARMO will not only strengthen EMOTA’s position as the European advocacy body for Europe’s e-commerce industry, but also provide EMOTA with a much needed insight into the many issues and barriers facing Romania’s e-commerce industry.

Responding to Mr. Bruggink, the Executive Director of ARMO, Florinel Chis said “we are delighted to become a member of EMOTA, which is prized for being the European advocacy body for Europe’s e-commerce industry. With a diverse membership base, we look forward to exchanging best practices with EMOTA members and assisting them in their collective goal of removing the unnecessary barriers to trade”.

To read more about ARMO, please click here.

24 October 2016

Following the approval of the EMOTA Board, on 24 October 2016, EMOTA signed a memorandum of understanding with the Overseas Cooperation and Development Commission of the Chinese Electronic Commerce Association. Operating as a framework agreement, the memorandum of understanding facilitates cooperation and discussions between the two parties on a number of issues and matters of common interest, such as knowledge, information, expertise and best practice sharing. 

Upon signing the agreement, EMOTA’s President, Jörgen Bödmar said: “EMOTA feels honoured to enter into a formal cooperation agreement with the Chinese Electronic Commerce Association. China is a global economic powerhouse and home to some of the most successful e-commerce companies in the world. EU-Chinese cooperation on e-commerce is vital, especially given the global nature of electronic commerce. We look forward to working with the Chinese Electronic Commerce Association and to the fruitful exchanges to come.

Vice Secretary General of the Overseas Cooperation and Development of the Chinese Electronic Commerce Association, Bao Xiao Xiong, said: “Europe is an important market for the Chinese e-commerce industry. Cooperating with our European counterpart on issues of common interest, as well exchanging best practices can only benefit companies engaged in electronic commerce, in both Europe and China. We look forward to working with EMOTA and exchanging our expertise and experiences”.

26 September 2016

The European eCommerce and Omni-Channel Trade Association (EMOTA) is delighted to announce its latest member – eCommerce Hrvatska, the Croatian e-commerce association.

Established in 2015, eCommerce Hrvatska’s aim is to inform, educate, connect and assist online retailers and other entities involved in the process of developing, implementing and promoting web sales. The association was first introduced in 2015 at the OMGcommerce conference.

EMOTA’s Secretary General, Maurits Bruggink, welcomes eCommerce Hrvatska to EMOTA and looks forward to working with an association in one of Europe’s developing e-commerce markets, adding “that as a relatively new and developing association, we feel honoured that eCommerce Hrvatska’s has entrusted EMOTA to represent them and their members at the European level. EMOTA will continue its mission to promote e-commerce and assist policy-makers in removing unnecessary barriers to trade, whilst producing concrete results for our membership”.

Following the outcome of eCommerce Hrvatska’s membership application, the President of eCommerce Hrvatska, Marcel Majsan, stated: “we are delighted to join EMOTA, as the European umbrella association for Europe’s e-commerce industry, with the knowledge base and long history of advocating the interests of e-commerce companies to EU decision-makers, we are confident that our members are in good hands and that their interests will be protected”.

To read more about eCommerce Hrvatska, please click here.

23 September 2016

The European eCommerce and Omni-Channel Trade Association (EMOTA) is pleased to announce the latest addition to its e-commerce family – the UK’s Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA).

The Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) is a UK trade organisation formed specifically to act as a forum for the physical and digital retail and wholesale sectors of the music, video and videogames industries. Its membership spans supermarkets, specialists, mail order, internet and mobile companies, who between them represent over 90% of the UK’s entertainment retail market. The ERA also works closely with the supplier organisations in the UK market, such as BPI, BASE and UKIE in areas relevant to entertainment retail.

EMOTA’s President, Jörgen Bödmar, welcomes the ERA and looks forward to working with an association based in Europe’s largest e-commerce market, adding: “the UK is known for its pragmatic approach to policymaking and is at the forefront of many e-commerce developments. The addition of ERA to EMOTA will further strengthen EMOTA’s position and knowledge base as we continue advocating for a true single market for Europe’s e-commerce industry”.

Following ERA’s membership application, Kim Bayley, the Chief Executive of the Entertainment Retailers Association, stated: “our decision to join EMOTA comes at a pivotal time in Europe’s history. With the future relationship between the UK and the EU pending, it has never been more important to work with our European e-commerce partners to ensure that the European single market for e-commerce is fit for Europe’s e-commerce industry and that all unnecessary barriers are removed”.

To read more about the ERA, please click here.

5 August 2016

Following its successful launch in Dublin, Ireland, the Irish E-Commerce Association (eCAI) opted to join EMOTA’s e-commerce family. Secretary General of EMOTA, Maurits Bruggink, welcomes eCAI into the EMOTA fold and looks forward to working with the sole association in Ireland dedicated to e-commerce, in one of Europe’s growing e-commerce markets. According to Mr. Bruggink, “eCAI’s membership of EMOTA comes at a pivotal time for Irish businesses, especially in light of the UK referendum result and pending Brexit negotiations”, further adding “that eCAI’s decision to join EMOTA highlights the strengths and importance of EMOTA as the voice of e-commerce in Europe”.

Niall Bodkin, Managing Director of Shopism and co-founder of eCAI, expressed his delight at becoming an EMOTA member, stating that: “as the European Commission’s expert for e-commerce, EMOTA is well placed to guide the Irish e-commerce sector in the wake of economic uncertainty, with the depth, expertise and experience to safeguard our member’s interests at this pivotal time”.

Founded in 2015 with a purpose of setting standards, the eCommerce Association of Ireland (eC.A.I.) encourages good practice, provides information, and promotes the use of eCommerce in Ireland. eCAI is active in advocating for the Irish e-commerce sector in both the policy and legislative arenas and disseminates key information to its members.

For more on eCAI, please click here.

25 May 2016

The EU Commission presented the latest legislative proposals under the so-called Digital Single Market initiative. EMOTA supports the EU Commission efforts to remove the many trade barriers that still exist in Europe especially concerning parcel delivery services and consumer rights.

Parcel delivery

EMOTA welcomes the EU Commission’s ambition to foster the growth of e-commerce, notably through a better oversight of current parcel delivery market developments; this should help more online sellers to get the best deals possible.

However, EMOTA is cautions concerning possible future debates around new forms of Universal Service Obligation, strictly for parcel delivery, which could have negative effects on competition.

Maurits Bruggink, EMOTA Secretary General says: “Although this is a step in the right direction, much greater efforts are needed to stimulate the growth of intra-European e-commerce and consequently bring prices down for webshops, in particular regarding cross-border delivery. More EU-Cross border trade could lead to jobs and growth. EMOTA is ready to discuss the measures proposed by the EU Commission in order to ensure the best possible outcome for the development of the market, avoiding overregulation but ensuring effective regulatory oversight.”

25 May 2016

The EU Commission presented on 25 May a proposal for a Regulation on Geoblocking. EMOTA is deeply concerned about the “obligation to sell” which the EU Commission introduces via this Regulation. The EU Commission and policy makers risk creating new barriers in eCommerce by introducing an obligation to sell that triggers the applicability of various obligations on traders simply because of selling online, even if only domestically. Traders will be forced to accept orders from non-domestic customers with no guarantees that the consumer protection rules applicable in the country of the consumer will not apply, or that other obligations regarding payments or taxation will not result.  

According to Maurits Bruggink, the EMOTA Secretary General: “This proposal is very unhelpful and will discourage any shop to go online as it would then have to comply immediately with the different national consumer laws in the other 27 member states.  In particular SME’s are not in a position to do that.  In contrast, the potential benefits of the proposal are extremely low; it will allow a citizen in Lisbon to buy from a web shop in Berlin if he picks up himself the parcel in the German capital.  What business model is that?"

Moreover, the proposal will make consumers' shopping experience more cumbersome.   According to the proposal, rerouting needs explicit consent from the consumer.  In other words, a French speaking Belgian will have to click each time he visits a web shop whether he wants the French speaking version of a website and not the Dutch speaking.

The proposal also gives the right to the cross-border consumer to use the same payment methods offered to the domestic consumers, although various services, like payment in installments, etc. might not be available cross-border.

The proposal forces sellers to provide justifications for the products that cannot be sold to them, creating more obligations on the sellers and unhelpful steps for the consumer, in addition to the legal risk. 

7 April 2016

The EU Commission presented today the VAT Package, announcing a series of measures meant to both simplify and modernize the VAT framework across the EU. The measures are very ambitious, including measures to create a VAT One Stop Shop, or to address the so called VAT compliance gap. 

Maurits Bruggink, Secretary General said: “VAT rules are fragmented across the 28 Member States and much of the procedures for an online business are “offline”. We strongly support the EU Commission in creating a single VAT mechanism where sellers can deal with a single fiscal authority for all their activities across the EU. European sellers are facing increasing competition and there is a tremendous time pressure to adopt these initiatives. We also welcome the attempt to address any unfair or fraudulent activities. We hope this is not going to lead to discrimination against online sellers, additional compliance requirements and further market fragmentation”.

For more information please visit the EU Commission page:

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-16-1022_en.htm

5 April 2016

EMOTA has enlarged its Board with three new members.

Rainer Will, Managing Director, Handelsverband, Austria

Grégoire Ducret, Executive Director, ACSEL, France

Mark Teurlings, Chairman, Webshop Keurmerk

“We are pleased with these new nominations”, explains EMOTA Chairman Jörgen Bödmar “because we are a growing organization with a growing amount of issues to deal with. Looking at the current expansion, the Board ads a variety of expert knowledge around the table. Rainer has a background in omni-channel distribution, Mark in webshop trust and Grégoire in the digital economy.”

 
Other Members of the EMOTA Board include: Yannis Kourniotis, (Vice-President), Telemarketing Greece; Luis Llairo, Adigital, Spain; Patrick Kessler (Treasurer), VSV Versandhandel, Switzerland and;  Dieter Junghans, BEVH.  

 
The Board is the executive body of the association, responsible for developing the strategies and policies.  It is supported by Secretary General Maurits Bruggink and a team of 3.  

*) EMOTA, the European Multi-Channel and Online Trade Association, EMOTA, is the voice of online and distance sellers in the EU. EMOTA represents online and distance sellers from 14 markets, including Germany, France and Spain.   

Contact:

Maurits Bruggink (Maurits@emota.eu; +32 (0)2 213 74 23 ; emota.eu)

(PDF)

18 March 2016

On 18 March the EU Commission released the initial findings of its 2015 eCommerce Sector Inquiry, which are based on data collected from more than 1000 webshops across the EU. The initial report of the EU Commission points to 38% of sellers that block or reroute users based on their IP addresses. The geo-blocking in the majority of the cases is the result of the seller’s decision not to sell. In other cases, it is the result of restrictions imposed by the suppliers. The Commission acknowledges that the lack of a fully harmonized set of rules for online sales can be the cause of the seller decision not to serve some markets.

Maurits Bruggink the EMOTA Secretary General “We welcome the EU Commission acknowledgement that the fragmented market conditions are the main cause for not selling online cross-border. We agree with the EU Commission that any agreement suppliers and retailers should meet the requirements of European competition rules. In other words, retailers should not be prevented from selling in other markets if this is the result of unlawful clauses in contracts with their suppliers”.

EMOTA is less enthusiastic about the mystery shopping report also presented today by the EU Commission. This extends unjustly the term “geo-blocking” to many other aspects of eCommerce, including restrictions related to parcel delivery or payments, pointing to 44% of websites that “geo-block”.

Responding to possible suggestions from this report, Bruggink comments: “In no way do we support an obligation to sell. An obligation to sell will not address the real problems and would be a very negative signal concerning the commitment of the EU to address the real problems. Geo-blocking is only the symptom and what we really need to do is to address the many barriers that prevent European webshops from benefiting of a EU borderless single market. Do we have a single VAT system? Do we have a single market for payments? Do we have a harmonized set of consumer protection rules? Do we have an integrated parcel delivery market? Not yet! But we are strongly supporting the EU Commission proposals in this direction, which should be put in place well before any kind of further obligations on sellers.”

Contact:

Maurits Bruggink (Maurits@emota.eu;  +32 (0)2 213 74 23 ; emota.eu)  

(PDF)

5 January 2016

The New Year starts good for EMOTA with yet again welcoming a new member. Following the joining of the Lithuanian and Russian e-commerce associations last month, it is now the turn to the Estonian e-commerce association, Eesti E-kaubanduse Liit.

Signe Kõiv, Chairman of the Board of the Estonian E-Commerce Association; “We are very pleased to join EMOTA, as it will provide our members with unrivalled access to a number of benefits. These include not only advice and contacts in our key markets Finland, Sweden, Baltics and Russia, but we will also keep up to speed with what is happening in Brussels. Cross border e-commerce is offering great possibilities to Estonian operators and we are fortunate that our compatriot, European Commissioner responsible for e-commerce, Andrus Ansip, understands the opportunities.

EMOTA Secretary General Mr Maurits Bruggink: “The Baltics are an example of innovation and entrepreneurship and we are happy to welcome the Estonian e-commerce sector.  Cross-border e-commerce has already grown strongly over the last couple of years, but we expect it to grow exponentially in the next 5 years.  This will offer important opportunities for Estonian e-commerce. EMOTA will assist the Estonian e-Commerce Association with advice on European market and regulatory developments, of which there are many to come in 2016!” 

Maurits Bruggink
EMOTA Secretary General
Maurits@emota.eu
emota.eu; +32 2 502 02 27
@emota_ecommerce
 

Signe Koiv
Chairman of the Board
Estonian E-Commerce Association
+372 5023 456
signe@e-kaubanduseliit.ee
http://e-kaubanduseliit.ee/

About EMOTA: The European Multi-Channel and Online Trade Association, EMOTA, is the voice of online and distance sellers in the EU. EMOTA represents online and distance sellers from 17 markets, including Germany, France, Spain and Italy.

About The Estonian E-Commerce Association: Eesti E-kaubanduse Liit is a non-profit voluntary organisation, established in August 2008 to bring together webshops with common interests, to solve different problems and to represent members in various institutions in Estonia. As of June 2015, the association has 120 members who operate in the field of e-commerce. The mission of the Association is to develop e-commerce in Estonia. We speak actively on the behalf of the Estonian e-commerce community.

17 December 2015

EMOTA is pleased to announce that the EMOTA Board has accepted two new members in our association. EMOTA now represents 16 markets, including the largest. 

- Russia; The Association of Internet Trade Companies, AITC (www.akit.ru) represents all the largest eCommerce companies in this large and growing market. AITC' membership also includes some large European retailers, like MediaMarkt and Otto Group and Russia's largest market places. AITC operates a Trustmark and, representing a non-EU member state, will become associate member.

- Lithuania: ELKOMA, the Lithuanian eCommerce Association (www.elkoma.lt) is the representative organisation for eCommerce in this Baltic country with close to 30 member companies. It was created in 2010. The main markets for Lithuanian eCommerce include the Baltics, Germany, Sweden and Russia.

16 December 2015

EMOTA acknowledges the political agreement on the EU Data Protection Regulation reached on 15 December, following several years of debates. We call on policy makers and enforcement bodies to launch the preparatory work for the implementation of the new rules as soon as possible, including dialogues with stakeholder bodies.  

Maurits Bruggink the EMOTA Secretary General: Our concern is that despite the intention to create a single set of rules and facilitate the development of the online economy, policy makers did not manage to find the much needed balance between technological development and privacy. They chose to be driven by scaremongering. We are afraid that many online sellers will be forced to seek costly advice on how to implement the new complex rules, especially when selling in several countries.

For example, it is unclear under the proposed legal grounds for the processing of personal data if some of the increasingly popular payments forms in eCommerce will still be possible (e.g. installments). Furthermore, when creating consumer profiles, sellers might have to require consent for some very basic processing. Overall this could mean that you have to collect more personal data just for compliance. Data Protection Officers will most likely be required for many businesses including SMEs, which will entail very harsh conditions and requirements such as detailed documentation or increased liability and sanctions.

The intention behind this reform should have been to facilitate cross-border trade, especially for SMEs, whilst giving attention to consumer data protection. Instead, the reform is likely to restrict EU SMEs from using data to develop new products and services because of the high cost. This is not in the interest of consumers and shows the EU is blind to global developments. It should be of concern to all policy makers.

EMOTA will seek to cooperate with the Data Protection Authorities and the European Data Protection Board in order to try to facilitate the implementation of the new rules by all online sellers.

Together with the ICDP EMOTA also co-signed a Press Release which you can download here. 

9 December 2015

EMOTA welcomes and supports the EU Commission commitment to harmonize consumer protection rules for guarantees and remedies through the publication of a new set of proposals. EMOTA warns however that the adoption of two distinct set of rules, digital content and tangible goods, in addition to creating a possibly significant differentiation between online and offline commerce, could lead to increased legal fragmentation, higher costs for sellers and uncertainty for consumers.

Maurits Bruggink, EMOTA Secretary General: “The EU should focus on removing barriers to cross-border trade. Differences in consumer protection rules between the different EU Member States are still among the top five seller concerns, preventing our members from engaging in cross-border sales. Today’s proposals are an important step towards full harmonization but will this be enough and at what cost? Having different rules for online digital products and tangible goods sold online is likely to create confusion. Our sector is rapidly becoming omni-channel and the line between tangible and digital is increasingly hard to distinguish”.

Chris Sherwood, Chair of the EMOTA Legal Affairs Committee: “The EU Commission proposals for the harmonization of contract rules seem to be a cautious political strategy in dealing with the needs of the Single Market. From an online seller perspective there is a strong case for full harmonization. It is also crucial to ensure clarity and legal certainty. It remains to be seen if during the upcoming political debate these proposals will be shaped into possibly a single policy tool to encourage cross-border sales.”

While EMOTA is still analyzing the published texts, we draw your attention to the following:

· EMOTA is concerned about the online/offline approach taken by EU policy makers.

· The extension of the so called reversal of the burden of proof to 24 months (Article 5.3 1999/44/EC) could lead to increased trading costs. EMOTA would suggest a differentiation approach.

· The EU Commission included wording to ensure that not all data are captured under the scope of the Directive for contracts rules for Digital Content. EMOTA welcomes this approach but would strongly encourage policy makers to consider a higher threshold, allowing sellers to use personal data for the development of new products and services, in accordance with the Data Protection framework.

· The removal of the obligation for consumers to notify defects within a certain time (Article 5.2 1999/44/EC) could expose sellers to abuse. EMOTA recommends the introduction of a differentiation threshold.

Please click here for the PDF release. 

17 November 2015

On 16 November, EMOTA, the European eCommerce & Omni-Channel Trade Association made two key appointments and changes its house style to reflect the organisation’s new strengths.

Chris Sherwood has been appointed Chairman of EMOTA’s Legal & Government Affairs Committee. Chris is Head of Public Policy at Allegro Group, the large Polish ecommerce platform, part of Naspers (JPE: NPN).  Chris Sherwood’s will have to give leadership in the association’s responses to the wave of new regulation that the industry is facing under the Single Digital Market programme.

Tim Walsh has been appointed as Chairman of EMOTA’s Supply Chain Committee.  Tim is Vice President Corporate & Regulatory Affairs at Pitney Bowes (NYSE: PBI), the global technology company that offers various solutions to global ecommerce. Tim Walsh will have to give leadership to the association’s objective to develop the associations’ positions with respect to upcoming EU regulation in parcel delivery, payments, and other parts of the supply chain.

Maurits Bruggink, EMOTA Secretary General is pleased with the new appointments: “They bring great strength and practical knowledge to the work we are doing.  Their appointment coincides well with the launch of our new visual identity today. The new logo and website aim to reflect the world of today and tomorrow, where ecommerce is an interactive process, not only between business and customers, but also in terms of interacting with other distribution channels.” 

***

About EMOTA: The European Multi-Channel and Online Trade Association, EMOTA, is the voice of online and distance sellers in the EU. EMOTA represents online and distance sellers from 12 markets, including Germany, France, Spain and Italy.

Contact:

Maurits Bruggink | EMOTA Secretary General

Maurits@emota.eu | emota.eu | @emota_ecommerce | +32 2 213 74 20

27 October 2015

• The European Tech Alliance will promote the scaling up of fast-growing European tech companies.

• Members will share their experience of building their businesses in Europe with policymakers

• The European Tech Alliance aims to close the gap in terms of European representation for scale ups and contribute to the Commission’s Digital Single Market strategy.

• The Alliance will be launched by the Commission’s Vice-President Andrus Ansip and hosted by Catherine Stihler MEP

STRASBOURG, France, October 27, 2015 – A group of high-tech companies announced the formation of the European Tech Alliance on Tuesday, designed as a resource for European governments and EU institutions to help the industry scale up and create jobs in Europe.

“We have formed an alliance to share our collective experience with policymakers and challenge mindsets about Europe, technology, and the Internet,” said Niklas Zennström, president of the group and the co-founder of Skype. He is now founder and CEO at Atomico. “There are so many European tech company success stories. We think we will be able to help European leaders understand that Europe is good at tech and show how policymakers can clear the way for the tech industry to grow further.” European Commission Vice-President Andrus Ansip, who is leading the Digital Single Market strategy, endorsed the creation of the Alliance.

“I am delighted that the Alliance has come together to open a new line of communication with policymakers in the EU. Their experience of building businesses from the ground up in Europe will be an important contribution as we create a Digital Single Market,” he said. Zennström said that the Alliance will look to further the goals of the Commission’s proposed digital strategy.  “The next 12 to 18 months will be particularly critical because the European Commission is writing rules to carry out its Digital Single Market strategy, aimed at clearing the way for all tech players – from the EU and beyond - to invest, grow, and prosper in Europe,” he said. The Alliance will look to work with European Union institutions and Member States and commit to share their experience of building tech companies in Europe, so that any legislation or regulation that the EU looks to introduce nurtures the tech sector and enables it to compete on a global level.  It includes companies built in Europe that have recently found success in the tech sector, and who are looking to scale up and are committed to being part of growing the digital economy. Scaling up existing businesses in the region is vital for Europe as it can help generate jobs, growth, and consumer value.

Contact @eutechalliance or our website eutechalliance.eu

13 October 2015

More than 20 major industry groups are today sending a joint letter to European Commission President Juncker following the Court of Justice of the European Union’s (CJEU) recent invalidation of the EU Safe Harbour Decision. 

The letter calls for a harmonised implementation of the judgment, legal guidance, and a sufficient transition period for companies and authorities to adapt their practices.  Finally, the letter underscores the importance to Europe’s economy of commercial data flows and calls for the conclusion of new and strengthened Safe Harbour framework. 

The joint statement is signed by 23 associations representing a variety of industry sectors.  Signatories range from DIGITALEUROPE and CCIA Europe to the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) and the European Publishers Council (EPC).

The following can be attributed to CCIA Europe Director Christian Borggreen:

“The Safe Harbour ruling caught thousands of big and small companies off-guard and they are now scrambling to understand the legal implications and adapt their practises.  Companies need legal clarity, guidance, and time to put in place alternatives to Safe Harbour.”

“Commercial data flows are crucial for Europe’s economy and EU and U.S. negotiators must quickly agree on a strengthened Safe Harbour framework.”

2 October 2015

EMOTA, the European eCommerce Association, and the Foundation Webshop Trustmark (Webshop Keurmerk,) the eCommerce association from The Netherlands are pleased to announce that the Dutch association is joining the European umbrella organisation.  In addition to joining EMOTA, Webshop Trustmark will also join the EMOTA European Trustmark.

EMOTA Secretary General Mr Maurits Bruggink: “The Netherlands is a developed and important ecommerce market and we are pleased to have gained the national trade association as a member. Webshop Trustmark is also the leading trustmark in The Netherlands with around 4’500 affiliated shops.  This will give a tremendous boost to our trustmark scheme, which already covers over 11’000 shops in Europe.”

Mark Teurlings, Chairman of the Foundation Webshop Trustmark; “We are active as trade body since 2001.  In view of the upcoming round of European legislation, we believe that joining EMOTA is a good way to represent the interests of our members and inform them about new rules and regulations.

Joining the European Trustmark scheme fits well with our strategy to promote Webshop Trustmark in other European countries. We are already have a strong presence in Belgium, with close to 500 member webshops and we are growing in Germany and France.

As from today, shops that carry the Webshop Trustmark can carry the European Trustmark to provide confidence to the foreign consumer.  Unlike other commercial schemes on the market, the EMOTA European Trustmark is operated by national, non-for-profit trade associations in Europe, providing the highest level of trust and guarantees.

Contact

Maurits Bruggink

EMOTA Secretary General

Maurits@emota.eu

emota.eu; +32 2 502 02 27

@emota_ecommerce

Mark. Teurlings

Chairman Foundation Webshop Trustmark

E-mail: info @ keurmerk.info

www.keurmerk.info

About EMOTA: The European Multi-Channel and Online Trade Association, EMOTA, is the voice of online and distance sellers in the EU. EMOTA represents online and distance sellers from 15 markets, including Germany, France, Spain and Italy.

About Webshop Trustmark: The Foundation Webshop Trustmark (Stichting Webshop Keurmerk) is a 100% independent trustmark. All our member shops are focused on providing quality to consumers and to serve their best interest.  Since 2001, Webshop Trustmark is also the trade association for ecommerce in the Netherlands.

NEDERLANDSE VERTALING

2 oktober 2015

EMOTA, de Europese e-commerce Association, en de Stichting Webshop Keurmerk (Webshop Keurmerk,) de eCommerce vereniging uit Nederland zijn verheugd aan te kondigen dat de Nederlandse vereniging is de toegetreden tot de Europese koepelorganisatie. Naast lidmaatschap bij EMOTA, zal Webshop Keurmerk ook toetreden tot de EMOTA‘s Europese Keurmerk.

Maurits Bruggink EMOTA secretaris-generaal: "Nederland is een ontwikkelde en belangrijke e-commerce markt en we zijn blij dat de nationale branchevereniging lid is geworden. Webshop Keurmerk is ook het toonaangevende keurmerk in Nederland met circa 4.500 aangesloten winkels. Dit zal een enorme impuls geven aan onze keurmerk regeling, die al meer dan 11.000 winkels in Europa betrekt. "

Mark Teurlings, voorzitter van de Stichting Webshop Keurmerk; "We zijn actief als brancheorganisatie sinds 2001. Met het oog op de komende ronde van de Europese wetgeving, zijn wij van mening dat de toetreding tot EMOTA een goede manier is om de belangen van onze leden te vertegenwoordigen en hen te informeren over de nieuwe regels en voorschriften.

Toetreding tot de Europese keurmerk-regeling past goed in onze strategie om Webshop Keurmerk verder te ontwikkelen in andere Europese landen. We hebben al een sterke aanwezigheid in België met bijna 500 webshops en we groeien in Duitsland en Frankrijk.

Vanaf vandaag kunnen de winkels die het Webshop Keurmerk dragen ook het Europese keurmerk dragen om het vertrouwen te geven aan de buitenlandse consument. In tegenstelling tot andere commerciële keurmerk programma's op de markt, is EMOTA‘s Europese keurmerk onafhankelijk en beheerd door de nationale, non-profit beroepsverenigingen in Europa.  Zodoende biedt het een ongevenaard niveau van vertrouwen en garantie aan de consument.

29 September 2015

On 22 September, EMOTA, the European Multi-Channel and Online Trade Association, joined EuroCommerce, the umbrella organization for the European retail sector, as “affiliated federation”.
eCommerce and Distance Selling play an increasingly important role in general retail. As a EuroCommerce member, EMOTA will be able to make an important contribution to the high level policy discussions affecting distance selling.

Christian Verschueren, EuroCommerce Director-General: We are pleased to welcome EMOTA as a new member. E-commerce and the digital economy are high on our agenda and EMOTA will provide valuable insights from this growing channel of retail.

Maurits Bruggink, EMOTA Secretary General: EMOTA is keen to share its knowledge and understanding of eCommerce for better policy making in retail. eCommerce is part of retail and while in the past the focus was on the competition between the sales channels, currently, most market players focus on channel diversification. In this context many of the policy developments we expect in the near future will require a good coordination and cooperation between the various retail channels in order to ensure the best outcome for online sellers, general retail and the market in general. As the ecommerce organization with omni-channel roots, we are ideally placed to contribute to the work of EuroCommerce.

***

About EMOTA: The European Multi-Channel and Online Trade Association, EMOTA, is the voice of online and distance sellers in the EU. EMOTA represents online and distance sellers from 12 markets, including Germany, France, Spain and Italy.

1 July 2015

EMOTA, the European eCommerce Association, is pleased to announce the launch of its European Trust Mark – see www.europeantrustmark.eu.  From today, the European Trust Mark will appear on those web shops that comply with the best trading practices laid down by the European Trust Mark.

The basis of the European Trust Mark is a list of 10 key principles to ensure a high standard of trading and consumer protection – see annex.  These principles include issues like consumer information, commitments to delivery or handling of consumer complaints.

The European Trust Mark is always linked to a participating national trust mark scheme.  The national trust mark scheme can only join and use the European Trust Mark if it complies with the latter’s 10 principles. You will find a sample of the use of the European Trust Mark in the annex.

European Commissioner for Justice and Consumer affairs Věra Jourová:  “..Today's launch will help build consumers' trust in the digital world. Currently, only 15% of European consumers buy online from other Member States.”…”Well done to EMOTA for this [E : launch of European Trust Mark] achievement. This is a solid step on a journey towards gaining consumer trust.”

EMOTA Chairman Jörgen Bödmar: “We are extremely pleased to launch European Trust Mark.  The concept is unique and builds on the existing strengths of the various national trust marks that have gained their reputation in the market.  The consumer will get familiar with the European Trust Mark when visiting his or her usual web shop.  When going to a web shop based in another EU Member State, he/she will recognise the European Trust Mark and will have the confidence in doing shopping on that web shop.  As a founder of web shop in a smaller EU Member State, Sweden has 10 million consumers compared to the 500 million in the entire EU, I see strong growth potential for my company and the use of the European Trust Mark is going to be an important part of my strategy in addressing the consumers abroad.”

EMOTA Secretary General Mr Maurits Bruggink: ““Today, there are over 5’000 web shops associated with the national Trustmark Providers being part of the EMOTA Trustmark Network and we aim to have 7’000 by the end of the year. With this European Trust Mark, we contribute to the creation of a Single Market for e-commerce while ensuring that trading practices are at a high level. We have many challenges to face, like the language barriers, the high costs of cross-border parcel delivery, the variety of payments systems and regulations, the high requirements on data protection and the numerous consumer protection provisions, just to name a few.” 

The EMOTA European Trustmark Accreditation Criteria (”the Accreditation Criteria”) adopted by the

EMOTA members and approved by the Board of Directors of EMOTA establish the following:

A. Code of conduct with high level of consumer protection:

• Transparent information about the trader

• Clear, complete and accurate product description

• Transparent pricing, inclusive of all charges and taxes

• Accurate information to the customer on product availability and delivery times

• Delivery according to the specifications and timing indicated to the customer

• Clear returns process and prompt reimbursement

• Accessible customer service and timely complaint management

• Protection of personal data according to EU and national legislation

• Appropriate protection of minors

• Secure payment methods

B. Comprehensive accreditation process:

• Online, fully documented, interactive and accessible procedure which enables and ensures

merchants’ compliance with the Trustmark requirements

• Online and interactive support and advice to facilitate any necessary improvements to be

made by the merchant before the Trustmark can be awarded

• Auditable record of accreditation and Trust Mark performance including the retention of

approved Terms & Conditions

C. Continuous monitoring of traders’ compliance:

• Minimum annual review of compliance

• Additional checks may be performed at any time on an exception basis

D. ADR schemes:

• Traders should provide information about ADR/ODR services to resolve consumer complaints

E. Enforcement and sanctions:

• The Trust Mark organization will address any relevant issues with the trader, who will need to

correct them promptly

• The Trust Mark can be withdrawn if the trader does not comply with the code of conduct or in

the case of insolvency

Download the full press release here.

6 May 2015

Brussels, 6 May 2015

EMOTA, the European eCommerce Association, strongly supports the EU Commission’s commitment to redoubling the EU efforts for the removal of the remaining barriers to EU cross-border selling.  The Digital Single Market Package, presented by the EU Commission on 6 May, echoes many of the EMOTA key policy priorities in ensuring a seamless EU Digital Single Market for products and services.

EMOTA Secretary General Mr Maurits Bruggink: EMOTA’s main goal is to help policy makers dismantle the complex barriers faced by sellers and consumers when engaging in cross-border trade. We are keen to work with the EU Commission, Parliament and Member States both in Brussels and at the national level to ensure a better understanding of the real challenges faced by sellers in cross-border eCommerce and to help implement the most efficient solutions, be it via legislative initiatives or industry and consumer group initiatives.

EMOTA published in November 2014 a list of the top priorities for online sellers in the Digital Single Market. The document is available here.

The EMOTA Key Messages in the Context of the Digital Single Market Package:

A functional and competitive data protection framework

EMOTA calls on policy makers to make the adoption of a workable and functional data protection framework a top priority in the context of the Digital Single Market Package. The further development of eCommerce and a data driven economy should be the primary goals of the EU data protection reform. A complex set of data protection rules risks to monopolize data processing, reduce consumer awareness and hamper SMEs from making full use of the digital economy.

Preventing discriminatory measures while guaranteeing the seller’s freedom of contract

EMOTA strongly supports policy makers in ensuring that consumers, and sellers alike, are not discriminated against (e.g. based on the consumer’s place of residence, or via unfair restrictions imposed on sellers). At the same time, it is crucial that sellers are allowed to choose the markets they should serve, based on the investments needed(e.g. securing the necessary payment channels, delivery and returns contracts, guarantees, after sales services and other administrative obligations) and the competitiveness of their offers. Policy makers should not restrict the freedom of sellers to adjust their offers to the needs and costs of the respective markets, as long as this does not result in unfair discriminatory measures against consumers.

The EMOTA Members initiatives, such as the EMOTA eCommerce Trustmark, require sellers to ensure full transparency in the case of any restrictions applied to cross-border sales, in line with the EU Services Directive and the Consumer Rights Directive. EMOTA welcomes the EU Commission recent initiatives to identify any unfair restrictions imposed on sellers, which should be analysed carefully on a case by case basis.   

A timely full harmonisation and simplification of consumer protection rules in online sales

EMOTA welcomes the EU Commission commitment to further harmonise consumer protection rules in distance sales contracts for goods and the plans to facilitate the possibility for sellers to rely on their national laws in cross-border sales (the so called “home option”). Any such initiatives should aim to make cross-border trade more attractive to a greater number of sellers, especially SMEs.  

A true One Stop Shop for VAT

EMOTA also welcomes the EU Commission plans to enable a Value Added Tax “One Stop Shop”, thus reducing administrative burdens for cross-border sales and ensuring a level playing field across the EU 28 markets.

Engaging with all stakeholders for timely market oriented solutions to cross-border trade barriers

EMOTA encourages policy makers and all stakeholders in the eCommerce value chain to engage in the development of meaningful industry initiatives meant to encourage more sellers to sell online and cross-border. Such initiatives could be developed in partnership with postal operators, payment providers or data companies. EMOTA strongly believes that in order to ensure a high level of competitiveness in a timely framework, policy makers, enforcement bodies and stakeholders should work towards identifying the best solutions that could be implemented by the industry, only to then enshrine these into legislation, should this be necessary for ensuring a level playing field across the EU Single Market.  

For the pdf version of this press release, please click here. 

About EMOTA: The European Multi-Channel and Online Trade Association, EMOTA, is the voice of online and distance sellers in the EU. EMOTA represents online and distance sellers from 12 markets, including Germany, France, Spain and Italy.

Contact:

Maurits Bruggink

EMOTA Secretary General

Maurits@emota.eu

emota.eu

@emota_ecommerce

+32 2 502 02 27

5 May 2015

The Industry Coalition for Data Protection (ICDP)[1] looks forward to the publication of the European Commission’s Communication on a Digital Single Market (DSM) Strategy for Europe on May 6th.  We are hopeful that it will be ambitious, optimistic, and focused.

We share the European Commission’s aspiration to ensure that Europe becomes a global leader in ICT and reaches its full potential in the fields of Big Data, data-driven science and the Internet of Things.

However, we have serious doubts that the legislative text on data protection proposed by the European Commission and the versions currently being considered by the Council and the European Parliament are compatible with the goals of the DSM strategy.

While there are elements that are helpful, overall, the Regulation risks increasing red tape and creating legal uncertainty. Worse, in practice many provisions would damage privacy by banning low-risk processing or creating perverse incentives for the gathering of more data than is necessary.

We call on the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission to take a fresh look at the proposed data protection Regulation prior to the start of trialogue negotiations, to ensure that this key building block of the future legislative framework contributes to realising the vision laid out in the DSM Communication, rather than undermining it.

[1] ICDP is comprised of 21 associations representing thousands of European and international companies who are building, delivering, and advancing the digital experience. Members of ICDP include: ACT | The App Association, American Chamber of Commerce to the EU (AmCham EU), BSA | The Software Alliance (BSA), Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), European Coordination Committee of the Radiological, Electromedical and Healthcare IT Industry (COCIR), DIGITALEUROPE, European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA), E-Commerce Europe, European Digital Media Association (EDiMA), European Multi-channel and Online Trade Association (EMOTA), European Publishers Council (EPC), European Internet Services Providers Association (EuroISPA), Federation of European Direct and Interactive Marketing (FEDMA), Federation of European National Collection Associations (FENCA), GS1, IAB Europe, Interactive Software, Federation of Europe (ISFE), Japan Business Council in Europe (JBCE), TechAmerica Europe and the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA).

For the pdf version of the press release click here. 

30 April 2015

The European Multi-Channel and Online Trade Association (EMOTA) Board of Directors appointed this week Mr Maurits Bruggink as the EMOTA Secretary General. Maurits has over 25 years of experience in European public affairs and government relations, in managing European and international associations, and including work on many of the crucial policy dossiers for online sellers.  

Jörgen Bödmar, EMOTA President: We are very excited to welcome Maurits as the EMOTA Secretary General, leading our team in Brussels. We are confident he will take further our association’s good reputation and work with the EU institutions. eCommerce is a huge opportunity for the EU and we look forward to working with Maurits on ensuring that the barriers to cross-border trade are removed and all our members can benefit from the full potential of the EU Digital Single Market.

Maurits Bruggink, EMOTA Secretary General: I look forward to working with the EMOTA Members in ensuring their interests and needs are clearly reflected in the many important EU policy initiatives that will have an impact on eCommerce and distance selling.

Maurits started as lawyer at the European Union Office of Arthur Andersen & C°, followed by a long spell as Managing Director at Brussels’s based lobby firm Grayling. For the last five years, Maurits has been Executive Director of the European Direct Selling Association, where he dealt with a number of similar issues as faced by the online sector, such as consumer protection, marketing practices, digital agenda, a.o. Maurits holds a Master in International Trade Law from the University of Leiden, Holland. Maurits is 52 years and is fluent in English, French, German, Dutch and Spanish.

About EMOTA: The European Multi-Channel and Online Trade Association, EMOTA, is the voice of online and distance sellers in the EU. EMOTA represents online and distance sellers from 12 markets, including Germany, France, Spain, Italy.

Contact: Razvan Antemir, EMOTA Senior Legal Affairs Adviser (razantemir@emota.eu; +32 2 502 02 27)

For the pdf version, please click here.  

28 April 2015

Dear Vice President Ansip,

The signatories to this letter welcome the European Commission’s work on the Digital Single Market Strategy and the recently announced key areas for action. Europe stands to benefit hugely from a Digital Single Market in which e-commerce can flourish. This ultimately benefits European SMEs, consumers and digital companies alike.

Unfortunately, European SMEs and consumers are currently prevented from reaping the full benefits of e-commerce. Certain manufacturers continue to prevent authorized resellers from selling their products through their shops on online marketplaces. These contractual bans are particularly detrimental to small sellers who use online marketplaces to build up a greater customer base by reaching millions of potential new customers who look for products on those marketplaces.

Consumers are negatively affected as well. Banning the sale of ordinary products through online marketplaces leaves the consumer with less choice and less price transparency. This leads to higher prices.

We would like to call on you to address this issue in the upcoming Digital Single Market Strategy. E-commerce in Europe will not live up to its potential if an important online distribution channel will continue to be banned by the unilateral actions of some manufacturers. In its judgment of 3 March 2011 (C 439/09 Pierre Fabre Dermo-Cosmétique), the CJEU already recognized that contracts which limit Internet distribution severely restrict competition.

In this context, we hope the Commission’s sector inquiry into e-commerce will shed further light on these unjustified practices. It is worthwhile to point out that national competition authorities like the German Bundeskartellamt have already declared marketplace bans as anti-competitive.

More is needed, however. Making Europe a leader in e-commerce will require political determination. The upcoming DSM Strategy is a great opportunity to abolish barriers to e-commerce that do not exist offline – tackling online marketplace bans should be a part of it.

We hope the European Commission will seize this opportunity and we remain at your disposal to discuss this issue further with you.

To download the press release please click here. 

23 February 2014

Ahead of the EU Commission’s #Digital4EU Stakeholder Forum on Europe’s new digital priorities, EMOTA, the EU level association representing online and distance sellers, urges the new EU Commission and Parliament to redouble efforts to facilitate cross-border eCommerce by reducing legal fragmentation and the barriers both online sellers and buyers are facing. The EU economy would greatly benefit from more competition, choice and growth generated by an increase in cross-border trade.

EMOTA firmly believes that today’s extremely competitive online environment and the increase in competition from international players is jeopardizing European online sellers as long as they have to overcome the lack of harmonization in the fields of consumer protection and data protection rules,  administrative and tax procedures or the very  complex product specific rules retailers need to respect. The EU policy makers should help eCommerce players by simplifying the still very different rules and by ensuring that the Single Market of the EU becomes a reality for all.

EMOTA published in November 2014 a set of six policy priority areas for the completion of the EU Single Digital Single Market: European e-Commerce 2014-2019: what to expect?

EU online sellers are facing a growing international competition in addition to the remaining barriers encountered in the EU Digital Single Market. The EU should help online businesses in their efforts to be competitive, trustful and attractive not only for European but also international consumers. This can only be achieved with a legal framework which is designed to promote legal certainty in a fast moving digital environment.

Policy Priority 1: A new set of fully harmonised data protection rules, built on principles and aiming to encourage the use of data in eCommerce and in the European online industry

a. Full harmonisation is crucial

b. Focus should be on principles and enforcement, not methods

c. Should reduce unnecessary duplication and administrative burdens

d. Well balanced definitions (personal data; consent; legitimate interest; risk; profiling) aiming to promote the secure use of data without overburdening online businesses

Policy Priority 2: A fully harmonised set of consumer protection rules

a. A harmonised transposition of the 2011 Consumer Rights Directive

b. Continue the harmonisation process for consumer protection rules

Policy Priority 3: A seamless, competitive Single Market for Parcel Delivery

a. Ensure full transposition of the EU Postal Framework

b. Support the development of information sharing tools for cross-border parcel delivery (by the industry)

c. Consolidate the information on formatting requirements in cross-border delivery (addressing, labelling, mail boxes)

d. Promote a competitive information exchange between sellers and carriers allowing full track and trace and additional services

Policy Priority 4: A competition oriented Single Market for payments

a. Remove non-competitive fees

b. Ensure proper enforcement of competition rules

c. Support the development of a true pan-EU payments system

d. Support the use of new technologies (digital signatures, device signatures, digital currencies)

e. Complete reform of the EU Payment Services Package

Policy Priority 5: a competition and taxation policy for the digital age

a. No new taxes should discriminate against online sales

b. Remove any anti-competitive tax loopholes

c. Remove any anti-competitive tax exemptions

d. Ensure that personal data, search engines, intellectual property rights, technical standards, EU legislative initiatives, distribution agreements or customs arrangements are not used as backdoors to distort competition in the online sector or to discriminate against the online sector

Policy Priority 6: building trust in all things digital

a. Support industry initiatives that bring a high level of quality and service at the pan-EU level e-commerce

b. Initiatives aimed at trust have to include policy makers, consumers and industry bodies in a concerted approach addressing any concerns through coordination and accountability

c. Trust mechanisms have to promote competition and a better service

d. Policy initiatives in the area of trust (e.g. eID, trust services, privacy seals) have to be designed to promote competition, consumer education and choice in a cross-border context.

About

EMOTA, the European association representing over 80% of the total European e-commerce turnover is working together with the EMOTA Members to bring constructive input to the EU policy makers. EMOTA actively supported all initiatives meant to reduce costs and legal fragmentation. In 2014 EMOTA launched a new initiative to establish a common set of criteria and accreditation for eCommerce trustmark schemes. Our initiative is meant to boost consumer confidence in cross-border shopping through ensuring that eCommerce trustmarks are well positioned to reflect and address the consumer concerns in cross-border trade.

Contact

emota.eu

twitter: @emota_ecommerce

Susanne Czech, Secretary General

suczech@emota.eu; +32 2 502 02 27

Razvan Antemir, Senior Legal Affairs Adviser

razantemir@emota.eu; +32 2 503 36 01

14 March 2014

At the eAwards Gala Dinner which followed the first day of EMOTA’s International Ecommerce Forum in Barcelona, EMOTA presented the 2014 International eAwards to the best European e-retailers who have succeeded in reaping the benefits of international expansion.

• eDreams ODIGEO is the winner in the category Best International Expansion

• showroomprive.com is the winner in the category Best International Growth

• Otto Group is the winner in the category Best International Multichannel Retailing

The winners were honoured in the the magnificent Teatre Principal de Barcelona.

About the winners:

The eDreams Odigeo Group, founded in 1999 and created by the merger with GoVoyages and the acquisition of Opodo in 2011, has grown to become Europe's leading online travel agency, with a turnover above €4 billion and over 14 million customers in 2013. The company has recently announced an initial public offering at the Madrid stock exchange.Based in Barcelona, the company is present in 42 countries across Europe and Latin America, operating in 26 languages and 32 currencies. It has achieved double-digit growth in both revenues and margins, with even higher growth in new markets outside their core geographies of Spain, France and Italy.

www.edreamsodigeo.com

Showroomprive.com, a French company specialized in private sales of top brands, is present in eight European countries. Maintaining a positive operating profitability, the company has increased its turnover by 40% in 2013, after an impressive 60% growth in 2012. Showroomprive.com has also experienced a notable growth of its mobile commerce which now represents 40% of the total turnover.The company recently opened a sales office in Barcelona; its first sales office outside France.

www.showroomprive.com

Otto Group has successfully and profitably evolved to a truly multi-channel business model, effectively integrating catalogues, physical retail and electronic commerce: internet and mobile channels now represent more than 50% of the turnover and position Otto as the global leader in online fashion and the second largest e-commerce player in Europe.Otto Group has progressively expanded the international reach of its multi-channel model, by entering new markets such as Russia, Brazil and Turkey and is currently present in 20 countries. In particular, Otto Group Russia represents a best-practice example of successful international expansion, as Otto Group continues to maintain a leading position in the multichannel retail sector in Russia, with a turnover of around €600 million. Thanks to a consistent double-digit revenue increase, Russia is the major driver of future growth for the Otto Group.

www.ottogroup.com

About EMOTA:The primary objective of EMOTA, the European Multi-channel and Online Trade Association, is to represent at European and international level distance sellers of goods and services both on- and off-line. Established more than three decades ago, EMOTA engages with the European Commission, Members of the European Parliament and all other stakeholders based on its insightful knowledge of market realities, with the aim of promoting the sector, accompanying its phenomenal growth, facilitating distance selling in Europe through all its channels of distribution, encouraging the secure and competitive delivery of products and services to European consumers and increasing consumer confidence and trust in e-business activities.The International Ecommerce Forum of EMOTA is organised in partnership with the eShow Barcelona. It is a high-level conference where e-commerce leaders can debate the core issues that will define and shape the agenda of the European digital economy.

Contact:

Susanne CzechSecretary Generalsuczech@emota.eu+32 2 502 02 27www.emota.eu

Link to PDF release (with logos)

13 March 2014

EMOTA, the European Multi-channel and Online Trade Association representing more than 80% of European eCommerce, today presented its European Trustmark for eCommerce. The EMOTA European trustmark for eCommerce establishes harmonized certification criteria for all national trustmarks throughout Europe. It will enhance consumer trust in online shopping across borders, increase online cross-border turnover for European web merchants and help overcome the language barriers of national trustmarks.

“The use of a trustmark is particularly important for SMEs, as their own brand is often not well known. The aim of our European trustmark is to assure consumers all over Europe that the e-shop bearing it has been validated by an EMOTA accredited trustmark provider and found to be safe” said Walter Devenuto, the President of EMOTA. There are still barriers to (cross-border) eCommerce that need to be overcome, both on the consumer side and on the side of e- retailers. These barriers can be of operational or legal nature, or simply result from a lack of trust. Together with the accredited national trustmark, the EMOTA trustmark will help get over consumers’ trust-related resistance when it comes to online shopping.

A vast majority of them actually look for trust labels on retailers’ websites and consider them as meaningful. “We have agreed on a strict set of accreditation criteria which will guarantee that consumers get excellent service when buying from a retailer participating in our scheme” said Susanne Czech, Secretary General of EMOTA. “Compliance with our criteria will be monitored and traders not acting in conformity with the codes of conduct of our accredited trustmarks will lose the benefit of displaying our European label on their websites”.

-ENDS-

About EMOTA: The primary objective of EMOTA, the European Multi-channel and Online Trade Association, is to represent at European and international level distance sellers of goods and services both on- and off-line. Established more than three decades ago, EMOTA engages with the European Commission, Members of the European Parliament and all other stakeholders based on its insightful knowledge of market realities, with the aim of promoting the sector, accompanying its phenomenal growth, facilitating distance selling in Europe through all its channels of distribution, encouraging the secure and competitive delivery of products and services to European consumers and increasing consumer confidence and trust in e-business activities.

Contact: Susanne Czech Secretary General suczech@emota.eu +32 2 502 02 27www.emota.eu

12 March 2014

Important improvements still needed in continuing reform effort by EU institutionsStrasbourg

The Industry Coalition for Data Protection (ICDP), a group of 16 associations representing thousands of European and international companies who are building, delivering and advancing the digital experience, expressed regret at the outcome of the European Parliament’s Plenary vote today on the proposed General Data Protection Regulation.

Many of the provisions in the proposal agreed today – which is unchanged from the text as amended in committee – reflect an overly prescriptive, “freeze-frame” approach that would be unworkable in practice, even for data protection authorities, and would threaten digital innovation and investment while failing to provide meaningful rights or protections to European citizens. “Strong data protection and job creation and growth for European citizens and businesses should go hand in hand,” said Chris Sherwood, head of public policy for Allegro Group, speaking on behalf of ICDP. “A legal framework focused more on outcomes than on the means of getting there would better align those two objectives. The proposal approved by the European Parliament lacks the balanced and future-proof rules needed to protect people's personal data while preserving the ability of European businesses to innovate and thrive.”

“The stakes are high, and this proposal must be improved as legislative scrutiny on this dossier continues,” said Sherwood. “We stand ready to work with all three EU institutions to ensure the result is a modern set of data protection rules that are appropriate for the 21st century.”

About the Industry Coalition for Data ProtectionThe Industry Coalition for Data Protection (ICDP) is comprised of 16 associations representing thousands of European and international companies who are building, delivering, and advancing the digital experience. Members of ICDP include: Association for Competitive Technologies (ACT), American Chamber of Commerce to the EU (AmCham EU), BSA | The Software Alliance (BSA), DIGITALEUROPE, European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA), European Digital Media Association (EDiMA), European Multi-channel and Online Trade Association (EMOTA), European Publishers Council (EPC), European Internet Services Providers Association (EuroISPA), Federation of European Direct and Interactive Marketing (FEDMA), GS1, IAB Europe, Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE), Japan Business Council in Europe (JBCE), TechAmerica Europe and the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA).

21 February

Ahead of a decisive vote at the European Parliament, EMOTA, the most widely representative trade association for e-commerce in Europe, has addressed the Members of the EU Parliament urging them not to support any calls for making the set of European rules which the EU Commission had suggested for sales within the EU mandatory.

“The attractiveness of this proposal by the Commission is that it would bring an alternative legal frame on which companies can base their contractual relationships with consumers. It would equip internationally oriented online shops and distance sellers with a useful tool for which they can opt in agreement with their customers” said Susanne Czech, the Secretary General of EMOTA.

Sales from one country to another within the EU are still hampered by the fact that the rules are not the same. This spoils the appetite of companies to accept orders placed by consumers from outside their national borders, though it would be extremely beneficial if businesses could smoothly operate on the whole European market.

The EU Commission’s proposal for an optional set of rules for sales contracts applicable by choice across the Union could help reduce the legal barriers. This is why EMOTA considers it worthwhile to continue the work on the draft rules and to aim for a final text which fairly balances the interests of (e-)retailers and consumers. “Any attempt to destroy this proposal suggests there is a hidden ambition to protect national markets against foreign competition” added Ms Czech.“This is totally against the spirit of the EU’s Internal Market and deprives consumers from a huge range of products”.

-ENDS -

17 January 2014

These two associations have already enjoyed fruitful cooperation for some time. EMOTA, the European association representing e-commerce, and SafeShops.be, the Belgian ecommerce community that helps online merchants to increase consumer trust in online shopping in Belgium, will now work together under the membership umbrella of EMOTA.

“We are delighted that Safeshops.be will be joining our association” said Susanne Czech, Secretary General of EMOTA. “Safeshops.be shares our objectives and our focus on facilitating e-commerce in Europe and places the same strong emphasis as we do on enhancing consumer trust in online shopping.”

“Online trade in Belgium is growing fast. The need to look across borders and to stimulate webshops to think globally and multiculturally is a must. We are therefore honoured to join EMOTA, the European umbrella organisation for  e-commerce, and very much look forward to working with the team in Brussels to help shape the European legislation for the benefit of e-retailers & their customers” commented Marc Périn, President of Safeshops.be.

Safeshops.be will join EMOTA upon admission by EMOTA’s Annual General meeting in March 2014.

**** End of press release****

Contacts
Susanne Czech – Secretary General of EMOTA – +32 2 502 02 27– www.emota.eu

Marc Périn – President of SafeShops.be - +32 475 72 02 46 – www.SafeShops.be

About EMOTA
EMOTA, the European Multi-channel and Online Trade Association, represents around 3,500 e-commerce and distance selling companies in 14 countries, through its 15 member national associations. The overall turnover in represented countries amounts to about €290 billion, which accounts for 83% of total European e-commerce.
As a non-profit organisation, EMOTA's primary objective is to represent at European level distance sellers of goods and services both on- and off-line. EMOTA engages with the European Commission, Members of the European Parliament and all other stakeholders based on its insightful knowledge of market realities, with the aim of promoting the sector, accompanying its phenomenal growth, facilitating distance selling in Europe through all its channels of distribution, encouraging the secure and competitive delivery of products and services to European consumers and increasing consumer confidence and trust in e-business activities.
For further information on EMOTA, please visit the website: www.emota.eu.

About SafeShops.be
The main aim of the non-profit organisation Safeshops.be is to increase consumer trust in online shopping in Belgium. The Safeshops.be quality label encourages companies to comply with legislation and to apply a number of extra rules of conduct. They therefore work together with bdma (the Belgian Direct Marketing Association) and Abto (the Association of Belgian Tour Operators). Information transfer among both e-commerce users and companies is a core task of SafeShops.be. More information: www.SafeShops.be

6 December 2013

Brussels, 6 December 2013 – The Industry Coalition for Data Protection (ICDP) urges the members of the Justice and Home Affairs Council to work toward agreement on an effective one-stop-shop mechanism for data protection compliance and enforcement.  

“The one-stop-shop mechanism is one of the key benefits the proposed General Data Protection Regulation offers for industry, providing legal certainty and greater efficiency for industry, citizens, and regulators alike,” said Siada El Ramly, director general of the European Digital Media Association (EDiMA). “A one-stop-shop mechanism would make it possible for companies to deal with only a single privacy regulator no matter how many Member States they operate within. We urge the members of the Justice and Home Affairs Council to recognize the one-stop-shop is a fundamental requirement for a true European Single Market.”

ICDP welcomed the introduction of this principle by the European Commission and the support it received from the European Parliament. The one-stop-shop mechanism would dramatically reduce the administrative and compliance burden for organizations while also benefitting EU citizens seeking redress for infringements related to their personal data. Under the one-stop-shop principle, the supervisory authority within a main establishment will have invested significant resources and developed expertise to thoroughly understand the privacy policies and practices of the data controllers and processors within its jurisdiction. It will be best equipped to effectively deal with these cases and provide the best redress to data subjects.

One-stop-shop mechanisms are already in place across a number of EU regulatory areas including CE marks for manufacturing and the security of goods. Under the proposed Regulation, a one-stop-shop mechanism for data protection could be codified, providing unambiguous rules for how to determine a company’s place of main establishment and allowing the Data Protection Authority of the main establishment to be the sole party to issue decisions and corrective measures if and when needed. 

About the Industry Coalition for Data Protection

The Industry Coalition for Data Protection (ICDP) is comprised of 16 associations representing thousands of European and international companies who are building, delivering, and advancing the digital experience. Members of ICDP include: Association for Competitive Technologies (ACT), American Chamber of Commerce to the EU (AmCham EU), BSA | The Software Alliance (BSA), DIGITALEUROPE, European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA), European Digital Media Association (EDiMA), European Multi-channel and Online Trade Association (EMOTA), European Publishers Council (EPC), European Internet Services Providers Association (EuroISPA), Federation of European Direct and Interactive Marketing (FEDMA), GS1, IAB Europe, Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE), Japan Business Council in Europe (JBCE), TechAmerica Europe and the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA).

21 October 2013

EMOTA, the European organization representing e-sellers, calls on the EU Council and Parliament to focus the upcoming negotiations for a Data Protection Regulation on finding solutions that would boost online trade and consumer trust. Restrictions on online businesses would result in less choice and higher costs for consumers while slowing economic growth across the EU.  

Susanne Czech the EMOTA Secretary General said “E-sellers are strongly in favor of the proposed goals of this reform, meant to break down legal fragmentation and complete the Single Market. The new European legal framework for data protection should bring legal certainty and trust to both consumers and businesses operating online. However, improvements are necessary in order to ensure that the current proposals, as adopted by the LIBE Committee of the European Parliament, achieve these goals. The future framework for data protection has to take into account the level of risk involved in the processing rather than to impose a blanket approach.”  

EMOTA calls on the EU Parliament and Council to focus on the following key areas of concern for e-sellers:

• Article 6 – Clear legal grounds for the processing of personal data are key for online sellers. The processing of data based on the legitimate interest by the controller or third parties as long as such processing does not negatively affect any consumer rights should not be restricted. 

•  Article 19 – e-sellers and marketers should be allowed to market their products and services as long as consumers do not object. The rules on the protection of personal data should reflect the level of intrusiveness of the processing in order to have a risk based approach.

• Article 20 – profiling is essential to any commercial activity, increasing efficiency and relevance for consumers. Unclear wording could result in a requirement for consent for profiling regardless of whether the processing would have any legal effects on consumers will increase costs and disrupt the user experience in online shopping.  

You can find here the latest EMOTA Position on Data Protection: http://www.emota.eu/#!publications-and-press/c9xs 

Contact our Brussels Office       

21 October 2013

Concerns Remain Following LIBE Committee Vote on Draft Text

The Industry Coalition for Data Protection (ICDP) calls for considerable improvements to the text adopted during today’s LIBE Committee vote on the General Data Protection Regulation in order to deliver a framework that is workable across all EU Member States and implementable by the vast range of industries that operate in Europe today.

“ICDP is fully committed to this reform effort and to helping the European institutions deliver a Regulation that will protect EU citizens’ personal data, create legal certainty for enterprises, and allow businesses and consumers to leverage innovative digital tools and solutions,” said Chris Sherwood, Head of Public Policy, Allegro Group speaking on behalf of ICDP.  “However, given the complexity of this dossier, considerable discussion still is required to achieve a practical, future-proof text that will provide meaningful rights and obligations and support growth of the digital economy in Europe.”

ICDP strongly encourages the European Parliament and the European Council to work toward an agreement that achieves the following: 

• Implements a risk-based approach, including recognizing concepts such as context and risk in the definition of personal data, data processing, and appropriate measures and sanctions;

• Maintaining clear roles and responsibilities in the data processing value chains, particularly between controller and processor;

• Guaranteeing a free flow of data across international borders in order to ensure European companies have access to fast growing markets outside the EU;

• Implementing a meaningful “one-stop-shop” mechanism with a simple and workable provision on “main establishment” to facilitate effective application of the new data protection rules for both business and consumers; and

• Limiting the requirement for explicit consent to genuinely at-risk situations.

“Europe’s data protection reform has the potential to be one of the most important policy achievements of the digital age – but only if a balanced and adaptable Regulation is adopted. The current text simply does not meet that standard,” Sherwood said.

About the Industry Coalition for Data Protection

The Industry Coalition for Data Protection (ICDP) is comprised of 16 associations representing thousands of European and international companies who are building, delivering, and advancing the digital experience. Members of ICDP include: Association for Competitive Technologies (ACT), American Chamber of Commerce to the EU (AmCham EU), BSA | The Software Alliance (BSA), DIGITALEUROPE, European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA), European Digital Media Association (EDiMA), European Multi-channel and Online Trade Association (EMOTA), European Publishers Council (EPC), European Internet Services Providers Association (EuroISPA), Federation of European Direct and Interactive Marketing (FEDMA), GS1, IAB Europe, Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE), Japan Business Council in Europe (JBCE), TechAmerica Europe and the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA).

15 October 2013

• E-commerce in Europe continues to boom, growing by 17% relative to 2012, despite the persisting stagnation of the overall economy

• The industry has the potential to create 1.5 million additional jobs in Europe by 2018

• Cross-border online sales will grow twice as fast as domestic sales

15th October 2013 EMOTA, the European Multi-channel and Online Trade Association, today co-hosted the 5th Annual European E-Commerce Conference in Brussels, together with EDiMA, the European Digital Media Association and the European Commission. The conference attracted more than 200 delegates representing businesses, consumer groups and EU policy makers, to discuss and debate initiatives aimed at promoting the development of e-commerce in Europe and at achieving the full potential of the Digital Single Market within the European Union.

In particular, conference participants addressed actions necessary to remove existing barriers to international online trade, by ensuring competitive and reliable international delivery and payment services, harmonising consumer legislation across Europe and raising the confidence of consumers in purchasing in other EU countries, to take advantage of broader opportunities and potentially lower prices.

At the conference, EMOTA presented up-to-date statistics on e-commerce in Europe:

• In 2013, European e-commerce will reach a turnover of around 350 billion euros, achieving an impressive growth of 17% relative to 2012;

• Europe still has the largest e-commerce market in the world and it keeps growing faster than North America’s;

• The online retail sector is increasing at high double-digit rates in all European countries: in Germany and Eastern Europe in particular, online sales are growing at well over 20% per year;

• The industry currently employs around 2.3 million people in Europe and, thanks to its explosive growth, has the potential to create 1.5 million additional jobs in the next five years;

• Specifically, international expansion represents an extraordinary opportunity for web merchants: cross-border turnover is estimated to grow twice as fast as domestic sales.

Download here the slides.

In order to stimulate the development of international online trade, EMOTA advocates measures to promote competition in international delivery services, with the purpose of achieving efficient pricing, reliable and traceable delivery, and a simple returns process across borders. Similarly, we encourage a more competitive environment in payment services, with the objective of reducing transaction charges, improving transparency and fostering innovation.

In addition, EMOTA favours the further harmonisation of consumer legislation at EU level, aimed at reducing the uncertainty of consumers when shopping from another country.

At the same time, we are keen to work alongside the EU institutions, to ensure that these legislative initiatives deliver real benefits to both businesses and consumers, balancing their legitimate interests and avoiding unnecessary extra costs and burdens for businesses.

In particular, several provisions of the proposed Data Protection Regulation, including the “explicit and specific” consent and the excessive constraints on profiling, represent a real threat to the business of online merchants, as they would substantially increase their operating costs and limit their potential to target offers and to provide much-needed services to consumers.

Finally, EMOTA is developing a pan-European trustmark, which will help consumers to gain trust in cross-border e-commerce.

In particular, we intend to harmonise the codes of conduct of the existing national trustmarks, standardising requirements in line with best practices.

Therefore, EMOTA aims to become, with the endorsement of EU institutions, the accreditation body of national trustmarks which comply with the Europe-wide code of conduct.

We will then promote the European trustmark to consumers in order to raise their confidence in purchasing abroad and profiting from offers available in other European countries.

Walter Devenuto, President of EMOTA, said: “E-commerce represents a true growth engine for the European economy and is creating millions of jobs throughout the continent. We champion the development of a borderless digital economy in Europe and we foster competition and innovation in international logistics and payments, as well as standardisation of consumer legislation, in order to create a true Digital Single Market in the European Union.”

ENDS

Download PDF

For more information on the 5th Annual European E-Commerce Conference 2013, please visit the website: http://www.ecommerce-conference.eu

EMOTA, the European Multi-channel and Online Trade Association, represents around 3,500 e-commerce and distance selling companies in 15 countries, through its 16 member national associations. The overall turnover in represented countries amounts to about €290 billion, which accounts for 83% of total European e-commerce.

As a non-profit organisation, EMOTA's primary objective is to represent at European level distance sellers of goods and services both on- and off-line. EMOTA engages with the European Commission, Members of the European Parliament and all other stakeholders based on its insightful knowledge of market realities, with the aim of promoting the sector, accompanying its phenomenal growth, facilitating distance selling in Europe through all its channels of distribution, encouraging the secure and competitive delivery of products and services to European consumers and increasing consumer confidence and trust in e-business activities.

For further information on EMOTA, please visit the website: www.emota.eu.

Press contacts:

Susanne Czech

Secretary General

EMOTA

Rue Belliard 20/3A

1040 Brussels, Belgium

Tel.: +32 2 502 02 27

E-mail: suczech@emota.eu

23 September 2013

Last week, the EU Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) voted on the Report of German MEP Klaus-Heiner Lehne and Italian MEP Luigi Berlinguer on the proposal for a Common European Sales Law. The Members of the JURI Committee voted for an optional legal instrument which would only apply to distance selling.  In this context Susanne Czech, Secretary General of EMOTA, made the following statement:

“A  fully harmonised set of EU rules which the contractual parties can choose for a sales contracts would make cross-border transactions in Europe less burdensome for e-retailers. We welcome the fact that the JURI Committee favoured this approach by their vote which has the potential of bringing us one step closer to a real Single Market for e-commerce. We are confident the upcoming weeks and months will be dedicated to finding a good compromise text between the preferences of the EU Commission, Parliament and Council so that it can become an attractive tool to use for online traders.”

25 July 2013

The 9th edition of the consumer scoreboard confirms that legal barriers are still an important impediment to the completion of the EU Digital Single Market. EMOTA calls on EU policy makers to redouble efforts towards the removal of legal barriers such as consumer protection rules.

3 July 2013

EMOTA conducted a survey on over 90 e-commerce sellers across the EU. The survey focused on how sellers see the proposed European Parliament and Commission proposed amendments to the EU data protection rules. The results show a deep concern that a blanket approach will leave sellers unable to serve their customers and continue developing their business. You can download here the release and infographic.

9 January 2013

EMOTA is part of the Industry Coalition for Data Protection (ICDP), an alliance grouping all industries depending on the use of data for their business. In this releases, co-signed by all ICDP members, we express our concern over the potential impact of the draft amendments proposed by MEP Jan Albrecht, the Rapporteur for the draft Data protection Regulation.

14 November 2012

EMOTA, the European Multi-channel and Online Trade Association, and EDiMA

, theEuropean Digital Media Association,  co-hosted the 4th Annual European E-Commerce Conference in Brussels, which attracted more than 200 delegates representing businesses, consumer groups and EU policy makers, to discuss and debate initiatives aimed at promoting the development of e-commerce in Europe and wider EU competitiveness. 

1 June 2012

Europe has the largest e-commerce market in the world after recording 19% growth to overtake North America in 2011, according to figures from EMOTA, the European Multi-channel and Online Trade Association. The total value of the European market was estimated at €246bn, leaving North America behind for the first time on €237bn.