The European Parliament has backed a set of proposals aiming to encourage cross-border e-trading and build consumer confidence. In this proposal, MEPs call to put in place measures in order to increase transparency and foster cross-border payment systems.

A European "trust mark" for websites that guarantee the reliability and quality of goods sold online across borders is one of the non-binding proposals made on 21 September by MEPs to boost consumer confidence and so unlock the growth potential of e-trading for Europe. Parliament's resolution on "completing the internal market for e-commerce" is a response to the Commission's March 2010 working paper on barriers holding back consumers and businesses in digital trading.

Online sales are often hindered by foreign traders refusing to accept orders from consumers living in another EU country, which makes that yet only one in three consumers would consider shopping online from another EU-country.

In this respect, MEPs regret that the Services Directive has still not been fully transposed into the laws of some Member States. They call on the Commission and Member States to ensure this is done, thereby putting an end to discrimination against consumers on the basis of their electronic address or residence, and to see that the non-discrimination rule is properly enforced.

Transparency, privacy and non-discrimination to boost cross-border e-commerce

The new mark, they say, should be based on EU law and be supervised by the Commission, but should be implemented in cooperation with existing trust mark labels in Member States and backed up by standards enforcement mechanisms at national level.

It is essential to make e-trading more transparent by ensuring that the consumer always knows the identity and contact details of the supplier. They also call on the Commission to strengthen consumers' data privacy, stress the importance of supporting the most secure technologies for electronic payment systems and call for a European early-warning system, including a database to combat fraud in the digital market.

Besides, Parliament calls for a degree of harmonisation of some aspects of consumer contract law, especially regarding the handling of certain types of warranty claims.

A new directive on consumers' rights is in the pipeline. In addition, the Commission has committed itself to issuing a Code of EU Online Rights by 2012.