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EU launches antitrust inquiry into e-commerce sector

Xinhua, May 6, 2015 Adjust font size:

The European Commission on Wednesday launched an antitrust competition inquiry into the e-commerce sector in the European Union (EU).

The inquiry will allow the EU to identify possible competition concerns affecting European e-commerce markets, the European Commission said in a press release.

It will focus particularly on potential barriers erected by companies to cross-border online trade in goods and services where e-commerce is most widespread such as electronics, clothing and shoes, as well as digital content.

More and more goods and services are traded over the internet but cross-border online sales within the EU are only growing slowly, the press release said.

Margrethe Vestager, European Commissioner in charge of competition policy, said: "European citizens face too many barriers to accessing goods and services online across borders. Some of these barriers are put in place by companies themselves. "

"If they are anti-competitive we will not hesitate to take enforcement action under EU antitrust rules," she added.

In the coming weeks, the European Commission will send requests for information to a range of stakeholders throughout the EU. The companies concerned may include manufacturers and wholesalers as well as e-commerce retailers.

A preliminary report for consultation is expected to be published in mid-2016. Endit