Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. Setting up a European retail action plan

Retail and wholesale services, also known as distributive trades, represent 11% of the EU’s GDP and account for almost 15% of the EU’s total employment. More than 6 million companies, i.e. 29% of all EU undertakings, are active in this sector. The retail sector is characterised by a very high share of SMEs, particularly micro companies (more than 95%).

Retail and wholesale are closely linked to each other, and to other economic sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, IT services, energy, logistics and transport. These sectors are becoming more and more integrated, and the distinction among them is increasingly blurred, as some retailers are now acting also as wholesalers, or even manufacturers. The retail and wholesale sectors have an essential role to play in stimulating growth and job creation under the Europe 2020 strategy: they are among the key sectors that can drive the transition to both a more sustainable economy and consumption patterns. Efficiency in this sector has implications for competition, innovation, price trends and competitiveness.

Retailers play an important role in bringing the Single Market to the EU's consumers. However, barriers remain that hamper the creation of an efficient and competitive Single Market in Retail. According to the Consumer Conditions Scoreboard of May 2012, the EU Retail Single Market is "still far from being fully integrated". There are also various barriers that hinder processes such as cross-border sourcing or market entry by retailers themselves.

While the Services Directive and its follow-up measures define a general strategy in the field of services, this Action Plan specifically targets the retail and wholesale sector. It provides a roadmap towards a Single Market in Retail.

EUR-Lex: COM(2013)36: Follow the progress of this communication through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2013:036:FIN

ESO: Background information: Commission adopts a European Retail Action Plan and consults on unfair trading practices http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-commission-adopts-a-european-retail-action-plan-and-consults-on-unfair-trading-practices/

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