A press release of the European Commission's spokespersons' service promises an exciting week on digital market issues.
On 10 January, the results are expected of the EU's investigation of consumer credit websites:
'Commissioner John Dalli will present the initial findings of the 2011 Sweep, an EU-wide investigation of websites offering consumer credit. Enforcers checked whether consumers are receiving the information to which they are entitled under EU consumer law before signing a consumer credit contract. National enforcement authorities checked more than 500 websites offering consumer credit across the 27 Member States plus Norway and Iceland. The sweep operation checked in particular how business is applying the Consumer Credit Directive (recently transposed in Member States), which aims to make it easier for consumers to understand and compare credit offers.'
On 11 January, the European Commission will present two documents:
- a Green Paper 'on the obstacles hindering further integration in the European market for card, internet and mobile payments and how these could be resolved' (public consultation open till 11 April 2012); and
- an Action Plan 'on e-commerce and other online services with a target of doubling by 2015 the share of the Internet economy in the EU GDP, as well as that of online sales'.
These initiatives are meant to complement existing legislation on e-commerce in Europe, in particular the E-commerce Directive. The press conference by Vice-President Kroes, Commissioner Barnier and Commissioner Dalli will be broadcast through the Commission's EbS channel.
