EU lists web users' rights in bid to drive e-commerce

The EC wants to unlock the full potential of Europe's single online market

The European Commission has laid out the digital rights of web users under EU law in an attempt to further remove the barriers to e-commerce.

The information is accessible through a new eYouGuide online portal, and is in response to a call from the European Parliament in 2007, and the findings of a recent EU survey suggesting that 65 per cent of internet users in the EU are in need of more cross-border shopping information.

The survey found that, while a third of consumers would buy goods from another country online, only seven per cent actually do so.

Other findings include the worrying statistics that only 12 per cent of web users feel safe making transactions on the internet, and 39 per cent have major doubts about the privacy of their online data. And nearly half do not dare to carry out financial transactions online.

"If we want consumers to shop around and exploit the potential of digital communications, we need to give them confidence that their rights are guaranteed," said EU consumer commissioner Meglena Kuneva.

"This means putting in place and enforcing clear consumer rights that meet the high standards already existing in the main street."

An EU report published today said that giving web users clear information about their rights will increase trust and help unlock the full economic potential of Europe's single online market, which is currently worth €106bn (£94bn) in annual revenues.

Information contained in the document includes web users' rights if they accidentally pay twice when purchasing online, and the extent to which internet service providers can monitor the web traffic of their users.