Online auction leader eBay is to lobby the European Parliament regarding what it terms ‘last century’ trading rules. It states that traditional manufacturers are clearly exploiting outdated regulatory laws for limiting the impact of online trading. The firm is planning to lead a coalition of online traders that are lobbying for change.

Paloma Castro, eBay’s head of EU liaison, stated: “As they did in the 1950s, entrenched manufacturers want to continue making money. However, the business models have to adapt for the new economy. “Currently online shopping is estimated to put 17 per cent of savings in the average household basket and looking at these rules could make them even better.”

She pointed out to say: “With the weak dollar, loads of buyers are looking to get goods online from the US but, in most cases, you cannott do it.” The firm has identified four regulatory bottlenecks, which it claimed is letting manufacturers maintain a policy of market segmentation that is essentially different pricing models for various regions. It has secured the interest of two EU commissioners, internal market and services commissioner Charlie McCreevy and Meglena Kuneva, heading up consumer protection. Its Call for Action paper is to be launched on June 24.

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