EuroCommerce calls for a stronger Single Market at Eurelec’s 10th anniversary

At Eurelec’s 10th anniversary, EuroCommerce Director General Christel Delberghe called on policymakers to remove barriers to cross-border sourcing and prevent national rules from fragmenting the Single Market. Eurelec is a European retail alliance that helps its retail shareholders source across borders and pass the benefits of greater scale, choice and competition on to consumers. 

The event featured a keynote address by Enrico Letta, former Italian Prime Minister, President of the Jacques Delors Institute and author of the landmark report “Much More Than a Market”. His call to deepen the Single Market and strengthen Europe’s competitiveness provided the backdrop for a discussion on the barriers that still prevent retailers from sourcing freely across borders and continued concerns about renationalisation of sourcing.  

During the panel debate, Christel Delberghe said: “Retailers and wholesalers want what the Single Market promises: a larger market, better prices and greater choice across Europe. This is something large manufacturers and other sectors already enjoy. The EU must act decisively against territorial supply constraints, which prevent retailers from sourcing freely across borders and create immense consumer loss.” 

Ms Delberghe also warned against national measures that fragment the Single Market, including France’s Loi Descrozaille. The law applies French commercial rules and the jurisdiction of French courts to negotiations involving products sourced abroad and sold in France, thus restricting cross-border sourcing and the benefits of scale. EuroCommerce urges action on its complaint from 2023 against the Descrozaille law. The association stresses that the revision of EU rules on trading practices must not strengthen further fragmentation of the Single Market by national rules or use of territorial supply constraints by large brand suppliers.  EuroCommerce calls for the EU to ensure that future rules remain targeted at small farmers and SME suppliers, and maintain a balanced agri-food supply chain while protecting consumer affordability and European competitiveness. 

Agustín Reyna, Director General of the European Consumer Organisation BEUC, also joined the discussion. EuroCommerce welcomes the growing alignment between retailers and consumer organisations and workers and highlighted their joint calls for the removal of territorial supply constraints, widened consumer choice and strengthened price competition across the Single Market. 

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Further information: 

EuroCommerce complaint on France’s Loi Descrozaille and cross-border commercial relations 

SingleMarket4All page 

Agrifood Trading Practices page 

Joint EuroCommerce BEUC on tackling territorial supply constraints  

A well-functioning Single Market must deliver for retailers, wholesalers, workers and consumers - EuroCommerce