EuroCommerce, which represents the retail sector in Europe, has called on the European Commission to stop over-regulation that ultimately blocks retailers from delivering value for consumers.
EuroCommerce was responding to the publication by the Commission, A European retail sector fit for the 21st century, which was published this week.
Investment
In it, the Commission says that for a modern retail sector to flourish, more investment is needed, along with favourable business environment.
‘The Investment Plan for Europe supports a further deepening of the Single Market, notably by removing barriers to investment, fostering greater regulatory predictability and reducing excessive regulation,’ it reads.
'Excellent'
Commenting on the publication, EuroCommerce said that it commends the Commission ‘on its thorough work over recent years on one of the most important sectors of the European economy’, adding that it is ‘excellent’ that the Commission has said that overregulating retail works directly against the interests of consumers.
“As a sector considerably exposed to excessive, inappropriate, and sometimes discriminatory regulation in a number of countries, this is a message we have been pressing for many years,” said EuroCommerce director general Christian Verschueren.
Massive Change
“Retail is undergoing disruptive and massive change through digitalisation and changing consumer behaviour, and Member States need to look at how they can allow retailers, big and small, to deliver the service and value that consumers expect and deserve.
"The single market, both for goods and for services, still needs to work better for retail - and consumers: everyone in Europe stands to gain from this.”
EuroCommerce described the publication as an important step to ‘ creating better understanding and recognition of the significant contribution retail makes to the European economy and European consumers’.
In order for the sector to remain competitive, it added, it ‘needs more competition, rather than legal and regulatory barriers reducing it: rules should be simple, transparent and leave room for flexibility and innovation’.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
