Press Release: Commission adopts a European Retail Action Plan and consults on unfair trading practices

The European Commission adopted on 31 January 2013 a European Retail Action Plan and a Green Paper on unfair trading practices in the business-to-business food and non-food supply chain.

The retail and wholesale services sector is one of the most important in the EU economy and should play an important part in stimulating growth and job creation under the Europe 2020 strategy. It accounts for 11% of EU GDP and 29% of European SMEs and employs nearly 33 million people, offering job opportunities in particular for young people, women and people with lower skill levels or qualifications.

However, a number of barriers remain that hinder the smooth functioning of cross-border sourcing, consumer access to cross-border retail services and market entry for retailers.

European Commission: MEMO/13/47: European Retail Action Plan and Green Paper on unfair trading practices in the business-to-business food and non-food supply chain – frequently asked questions http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-13-47_en.htm

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