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ARTICLE · 21 MAY 2015

EU Inquiry Into E-Commerce

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EU Competition Commissioner Margarethe Vestager when announcing in March 2015 a major competition inquiry into the e-commerce sector in Europe.

European UnionAntitrust/Competition Law
Nick Pimlott
Nick Pimlott

"I cannot understand why I can watch my favourite Danish channels on my tablet in Copenhagen – a service I paid for – but I can't when I'm in Brussels." So said EU Competition Commissioner Margarethe Vestager when announcing in March 2015 a major competition inquiry into the e-commerce sector in Europe. This inquiry will accompany actions launched within the framework of the DSM strategy as set out above.  Indeed, identifying and tackling barriers to cross-border e-commerce is a high priority for the European Commission under the new Presidency of Jean-Claude Juncker. Currently, only 15% of consumers have purchased online from a seller based in another EU Member State and the Commission considers that to be a problem.

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