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The Commission is proposing extending the framework for the weekly collection of representative prices for certain products, to processors, wholesalers and retailers. This is the last measure in set of three initiatives implementing recommendations of the Agri-Markets Task Force in 2016, following on from the Omnibus Regulation, providing farmers derogations from competition law and the directive on Unfair Trading Practices in the food supply chain.

EuroCommerce favours the market oriented approach of the current Common Agricultural Policy. We support, in principle, market transparency and the work of the current price observatories as a means of generating a better understanding of the functioning of the food supply chain at all levels. We have a number of concerns, however, over the design of the current initiative and whether this will help farmers negotiate better terms with their buyers, or retain more added value.

The European online retail sector is once again on a good track towards a prosperous growth throughout 2019. After an increase in turnover by 11.87% to €547 billion in 2018, the European B2C ecommerce turnover is forecasted to grow even further in 2019 by close to 14% to €621 billion. This is one of the main outcomes of the European B2C Ecommerce Report 2019, which is jointly launched today by Ecommerce Europe and EuroCommerce. The report outlines the main facts and figures on the ecommerce sector in Europe and provides detailed insights for each European ecommerce market.

This updated infographic was produced by the Food Safety Platform, which groups key European stakeholder federations, including EuroCommerce, which are concerned with feed and food safety. This platform is aiming at improving communication between the feed and food chain partners on issues of mutual interest.

Food safety is a joint responsibility for all the partners of the food supply chain, from farm to fork, and is dependent on strong partnerships along the agri-food chain. In addition, feed safety is the basis of safe food of animal origin, and therefore an integral component of global food safety systems.

Today is the first World Food Safety Day, following its adoption by the United Nations General Assembly in 2018. To mark the day CELCAA, Copa-Cogeca, EuroCommerce, FEFAC and FoodDrinkEurope are reiterating their commitment to delivering safe food to consumers all around the globe.

Food safety is a joint responsibility for all the partners of the food supply chain, from farm to fork, and is dependent on strong partnerships along the agri-food chain. In addition, feed safety is the basis of safe food of animal origin, and therefore an integral component of global food safety systems.

Europe has the safest food in the world. This is the result of a wide range of regulatory and self-regulatory measures to ensure all products on the market meet the highest standards. Starting with good agricultural and animal practices, and continuing with the compliance with the highest food safety standards and the core long-standing practice of traceability, Europe’s agri-food chain partners have made food safety their number one priority.

Ensuring that food is safe, from a production, marketing, trade and consumption perspective, is a non-negotiable responsibility that all partners along the food chain must adhere to, regardless of their place, for the benefit of everybody in the chain and particularly consumers. 

The Food Safety Platform members (BEUC, CELCAA, Copa-Cogeca, EuroCommerce, FEFAC and FoodDrinkEurope) have also developed an infographic brochure showcasing their joint responsibility in delivering safe food from farm to fork, which can be downloaded here.

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Contact:

Kinga Timaru-Kast - +32 2 894 64 83 - timaru@eurocommerce.eu   
Neil McMillan - +32 2 737 05 99 - mcmillan@eurocommerce.eu   

The Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS) for Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) have been under discussion for quite some time. However, the availability of final standards and specifications required for the smooth and effective implementation have been delayed to a point where key stakeholders have a very short lead time to go through the necessary system acceptance testing prior to solutions being deployed.

While EuroCommerce and its members are fully supportive of the RTS and believe that the outcome in the medium to long term will be a reduction in fraud and an improvement in approval rates, it is becoming increasingly clear that, if potential problems are not carefully anticipated, implementation on 14 September may result in major disruption to e-commerce in particular and create significant risk for merchants in the period leading up to their busiest time of the year (Black Friday, Christmas trading, New Year sales) which would in turn harm consumer confidence in payment systems and be detrimental to the entire economy.

This paper addresses a number of key issues for retail and wholesale businesses, with recommendations to improve the single market for consumers and business.

The digital and circular transformation of the economy is changing and creating new markets all over the world. Retailers and wholesalers are innovating, adapting and experimenting to explore new products, services and business models to keep up with customer demand. Consumers expect us to provide sustainable and affordable products, at any time at the tip of a finger. At the same time, the global trends already point to slower consumer spending growth, higher consumer prices and disrupted global supply chains.The latter caused by a volatile political environment influenced by populistic arguments including Brexit, unrest at the EU’s borders and an America-first strategy on the other side of the Atlantic. This makes the Single Market even more relevant as Europe’s most powerful instrument for ensuring economic and social prosperity on the European continent. A properly functioning Single Market will enable retail and wholesale to respond to consumer demand and compete in a globally competitive environment.

We launched our new Manifesto, describing our new four strategic pillars and key policy asks. Our Manifesto is targeted at the incoming European Parliament and Commission in 2019.

Download pdf version

EuroCommerce and GS1 in Europe have today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to work more intensively together in the field of supply chain cooperation, standards, and technologies. The MoU foresees effective and regular exchanges on matters of common interest like product identification, traceability and sustainability, data capture and sharing, and supply chain management. Both organisations highlighted that a number of their respective member associations and companies are already working together at national and global level.
 
EuroCommerce Director-General, Christian Verschueren commented:
“The MoU recognises GS1’s long experience in supply chain communication and standard-setting. Common voluntary standards are a central element of supply chain security, international and European trade facilitation, and implementation of European regulations at national level. The MoU will help us identify, develop and implement programmes and projects with a clear benefit for the retail and wholesale sector.”
 
François Deprey, Chairman of GS1 in Europe and CEO GS1 France, affirmed:
“GS1 in Europe is the natural place where companies of all sizes meet and find common solutions based on open standards to solve data issues to meet legislative requirements and/or consumers’ needs of industrial decisions. Industry 4.0 and the circular economy are perfect examples on why companies need to develop digital twins at the benefit of consumers, partners and institutions. Joining forces with EuroCommerce, the principal EU organisation for the retail and wholesale sector, will provide GS1 in Europe the content and directions needed to achieve those goals.”

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Contact:

Kinga Timaru-Kast - +32 2 894 64 83 - timaru@eurocommerce.eu   

Francesca Poggiali - +32 2 788 78 06 - francesca.poggiali@gs1.org

In this paper, EuroCommerce calls for action at EU and national level to guarantee a level playing field for retail operating in Europe. Stronger and more effective enforcement is needed to deal with rogue traders and remove them from the EU market. In parallel, Europe needs a much more thorough-going evaluation of existing EU rules that are no longer fit for the current digital age.
EuroCommerce represents all different forms of retail, brick and mortar, online stores and online retail platforms, and any combination of these under the heading omnichannel. When we talk about retail in this paper, this covers all these different types of retail.

VBER has worked well over the last nine years and provided a relatively balanced framework for the relationship between businesses in a vertical relationship in the supply chain. The Commission’s current evaluation is an opportunity to create an updated regulatory framework which provides legal certainty in the supply chain, and supports a competitive retail and wholesale sector in the next decade.