Trouble for the Revenue?
Good news - for once - from the EU.
This is what EU Consumer Commissioner Meglena Kuneva had to say the other day, while in these parts:
"It is particularly important for consumers to challenge the acceptability of business models based on geographical discrimination. In the world we live in, we are not obliged to shop in the supermarkets and stores of our postal code. We are not constrained to buy in our municipalities. We should also not be forced to shop within our national borders. Yet we cannot buy computers, train tickets or play-stations freely across the EU. We are forced to buy domestic. Let me be clear, there is no place in Europe's Single Market for artificial geographical restrictions which hold consumers back within national borders. I am in the process of carrying out a study on e-commerce, which I hope will start to launch the debate."
That, made law, would rather put the kibosh on our penal duty rates on tobacco and alcohol....
(NB - One does need the EU in order for cross border trade to flourish....)
Meanwhile, in another release quoting the redoubtable, and not uneasy on the eye, Ms Kuneva, she is shocked, shocked, that fewer consumers engage in cross-border e-commerce than domestic e-commerce. Erm, penal international postage, exchange rates (in some cases) and language problems?
This is what EU Consumer Commissioner Meglena Kuneva had to say the other day, while in these parts:
"It is particularly important for consumers to challenge the acceptability of business models based on geographical discrimination. In the world we live in, we are not obliged to shop in the supermarkets and stores of our postal code. We are not constrained to buy in our municipalities. We should also not be forced to shop within our national borders. Yet we cannot buy computers, train tickets or play-stations freely across the EU. We are forced to buy domestic. Let me be clear, there is no place in Europe's Single Market for artificial geographical restrictions which hold consumers back within national borders. I am in the process of carrying out a study on e-commerce, which I hope will start to launch the debate."
That, made law, would rather put the kibosh on our penal duty rates on tobacco and alcohol....
(NB - One does need the EU in order for cross border trade to flourish....)
Meanwhile, in another release quoting the redoubtable, and not uneasy on the eye, Ms Kuneva, she is shocked, shocked, that fewer consumers engage in cross-border e-commerce than domestic e-commerce. Erm, penal international postage, exchange rates (in some cases) and language problems?
Labels: EU fun and games, free trade, Taxes
This entry was posted
on Monday, June 23, 2008 at 8:40 am.
You can skip to the end and leave a response.
Perhaps she will dash the rather odd legal situation whereby we can all buy as much stuff in another EU country and take it home, but we can't pay someone else to bring us stuff from the same place. Which means I have to take the car to France when I need to refill the cellar when I should be able to get Intermarche to deliver it to my door...
The ability to set our own rules or standards continues to be eroded and I cannot believe we can hold onto our tobacco and alcohol restrictions for much longer.
It is unclear to me from this whether you support integration and harmonisation across the EU - or is it that you just like the bits that you benefit from (as per your example of cheaper items in France). I don't think you can have your cake and eat it. [But then again, why not?].
N - I like free trade, a lot, and am happy for barriers to trade being dismantled. It irks me no end that the government refuses to play ball on alcohol and tobacco imports because it is so hooked on the duty fix it gets.
» Post a Comment