European Parliament’s Report on ePrivacy not in line with business realities, may put EU businesses at risk and hamper innovation

PRESS RELEASE October 19, 2017

Ecommerce Europe regrets today’s adoption of the European Parliament’s LIBE Report on the ePrivacy Regulation. The Report may negatively impact European online merchants’ business models and consumers’ online shopping experience significantly. Moreover, the Report does not take sufficiently into account the crucial role that electronic communications and data-driven marketing play in modern e-commerce.

Margreet Lommerts, Secretary General ad interim of Ecommerce Europe, declared: “Ecommerce Europe has always supported a review of the current rules enshrined in the ePrivacy Directive. We have always called for a balanced ePrivacy legal framework, to protect the confidentiality of electronic communications without hampering technological innovation, from which both consumers and e-merchants can benefit. Unfortunately, the Report adopted today represents a missed opportunity to make the ePrivacy framework fit for modern e-commerce.”

Ecommerce Europe continues to express its strong concerns about multiple overlaps and duplications between the draft ePrivacy Regulation and the already adopted rules on data protection. Ecommerce Europe reiterates that it is of utmost importance to ensure consistency between the draft ePrivacy Regulation and the General Data Protection Regulation. Such consistency has not been achieved in the text adopted today.

In view of the next steps of the legislative process, Ecommerce Europe calls on policymakers not to rush decisions, but to take the necessary time to ensure a balanced ePrivacy Regulation. Legislators should not impose unreasonable burdens on the industry, which will ultimately not bring any real benefits for users from a privacy perspective and hamper technological developments.

More information about the position of Ecommerce Europe on the ePrivacy Regulation can be found here.

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About Ecommerce Europe

Ecommerce Europe is the association representing 35,000+ companies selling goods and/or services online to consumers in Europe. Founded by leading national e-commerce associations, Ecommerce Europe is the voice of the e-commerce sector in Europe. Its mission is to stimulate cross-border e-commerce through lobbying for better or desired policy, tabling the e-commerce sectors’ demands on the agenda of those designing the necessary standards and regulations, by offering a European platform bringing the European e-commerce sector and other stakeholders together, and by providing in-depth research data about European markets. Additionally, Ecommerce Europe stimulates the industry by developing initiatives like its European Trustmark label.

Website: www.ecommerce-europe.eu

Trustmark: www.ecommercetrustmark.eu

National associations that are members of Ecommerce Europe

Contact
Ecommerce Europe AISBL
Rue de Trèves 59-61, B-1040 Brussels, Belgium
Website: www.ecommerce-europe.eu

Trustmark: www.ecommercetrustmark.eu

Twitter: @Ecommerce_EU

Press contact Ecommerce Europe

Margreet Lommerts

Secretary General ad interim

Tel.: +32 2 502 31 34

Email: marlenetenham@ecommerce-europe.eu