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Created on Wednesday, 19 October 2011 15:58

Published Date

Written by Jon Chapple

A new optional sales law that would apply throughout the EU is "good news for customers and UK retailers," said the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

The European Commission has published its proposals for a Common European Sales Law which would allow businesses trading online to make sales under a single EU-wide contract law, rather than having to comply with the different national laws in each of the 27 member states.

The new law would be optional for businesses but would provide a common high level of consumer protection for cross-border ecommerce purchases, and would give customers access to a wider choice of goods available online.

BRC director general Stephen Robertson said: "If the law for selling across the EU is simpler, UK retailers should be able to expand into many more markets. This has the potential to boost British exports of goods throughout the EU and so boost growth and jobs in the UK. Britain has all the advantages of language and of having the EU's best-developed online market. The UK Government must take a constructive approach in the negotiations to produce the maximum benefit for consumers and businesses."