Press - Archive
No antidumping on footwear: a reasonable decision
Published: 19/11/2009 - last updated: 19/11/2009
Brussels, 19 November 2009: EU Member States reject Commission proposal
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Antidumping on shoes imports: Extension would harm Europe
Published: 18/11/2009 - last updated: 18/11/2009
Brussels, 18 November 2009 - EuroCommerce urges EU-27 to reject Commission proposal
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SEPA users give guarded welcome to EU-wide direct debit
Published: 30/10/2009 - last updated: 30/10/2009
On Monday 2nd November 2009, the SEPA direct debit scheme, the second strand of the Single European Payments Area (SEPA), will come into being. The new products will enable direct debit orders to be set up at cross border level in Europe for the first time. For example, it will become possible for a consumer living in Belgium to settle their Belgian utility bills through their Greek bank account using regular monthly payments.
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Commerce advocates holistic view of supply chain
Published: 28/10/2009 - last updated: 28/10/2009
Brussels, 28 October 2009: EuroCommerce stresses that elements of food supply chain cannot be understood in isolation
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REAP welcomes 3 new members
Published: 22/10/2009 - last updated: 22/10/2009
Brussels, 22 October 2009 – Today, the retailers’ environmental project, REAP, welcomes 3 new members: APED, Confcommercio and Euro Coop. This brings to 28 the number of retail companies and federations committed to this far-reaching initiative.
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Commerce sector and trade unions jointly launch initiative to help prevent the alarming rise of third party violence in shops
Published: 21/10/2009 - last updated: 20/10/2009
Brussels, 21st October, 2009 – The commerce sector and trade unions today joined forces to offer practical advice to shops on how to protect both workers and customers from third party violence. Social partners, EuroCommerce and UNI Europa Commerce, launched a preventative toolkit for shops in response to a worrying increase in violent incidents in the workplace.
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‘Made in’ label: protectionist, bureaucratic and costly
Published: 19/10/2009 - last updated: 19/10/2009
Member states must maintain their veto
EuroCommerce calls on member states to stand against the Commission proposal for a mandatory ‘made-in’ label to be attached to certain imported consumer goods.
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EU-Korea Deal: A boost to retail and wholesale
Published: 14/10/2009 - last updated: 14/10/2009
Brussels, 14 October 2009: Bold sign against protectionism
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Shoes: Antidumping duties could damage economic recovery
Published: 12/10/2009 - last updated: 12/10/2009
Brussels, 12 October 2009 - Perpetuating protectionism will hit consumers and businesses
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What game is Visa playing?
Published: 02/10/2009 - last updated: 02/10/2009
Brussels, 2 October 2009 - With no prior announcement, Visa Europe sharply increased some of its fees from 1 October. At present, it appears that the increase applies only to the UK, but very little information is currently available.
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EU Action Plan on Urban Mobility - Commerce issues stern warning
Published: 01/10/2009 - last updated: 01/10/2009
Brussels, 1 October 2009 - EuroCommerce broadly welcomes the initiatives proposed in the long-awaited Action Plan on Urban Mobility adopted by the European Commission on 30 September 2009. However, commerce warns that in the current economic climate, access restrictions and increased charges could badly backfire.
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EuroCommerce, Eurochambres and UEAPME write to the competitiveness council about the implementation of the Services Directive
Published: 22/09/2009 - last updated: 22/09/2009
22 September 2009 - As organisations representing the business community in Europe, we are sending you an open letter expressing our concern about the inadequate implementation to date of the Services Directive, which is one of the most important pieces of legislation adopted by the Council and the European Parliament in recent times.
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EuroCommerce welcomes the Commission SEPA roadmap
Published: 10/09/2009 - last updated: 10/09/2009
Brussels, 10 September - EuroCommerce welcomes the clarifications brought by the European Commission when releasing its Communication “Completing SEPA: a Roadmap for 2009-2012”.
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Agriculture Council must look at food supply chain as a whole
Published: 04/09/2009 - last updated: 04/09/2009
Brussels 4 September - On 7 September, the Agriculture Council of Ministers will discuss the dairy market situation and the recommendations from the High Level Group on the competitiveness of the agro-food industry. EuroCommerce calls on the ministers to be clear on some vital issues.
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Dairy Market Report 2009
Published: 24/07/2009 - last updated: 24/07/2009
A clear understanding of the evolution of prices
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SEPA risks failure unless corrections are made, say end users
Published: 15/07/2009 - last updated: 15/07/2009
Brussels, 15 July 2009 (for immediate release) – The Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA)[1] that aims to establish one set of Europe-wide rules for credit transfers, debt transfers and payment card services risks not being sufficiently taken up by the market and failing to meet its objective to improve the efficiency of cross border euro payments, according to 8 leading European business and consumer organisations.
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Colruyt Group - Newcomer to REAP
Published: 02/07/2009 - last updated: 02/07/2009
Brussels, 2 July 2009 – Today on the occasion of the second meeting of the Retail Forum, Colruytgroup, the Belgian retailer and member of EuroCommerce, has become the 25th signatory to REAP. The Retail Forum will also be presenting the work plan and the results of the discussions on energy efficiency in stores.
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Despite crisis, laws proposed in some member states may go against interests of commerce and consumers
Published: 17/06/2009 - last updated: 17/06/2009
Brussels, 17 June 2009 – EuroCommerce, the European commerce federation is concerned that the activities of legislators in some EU countries may lead to over-regulation of the business environment.
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EuroCommerce lodges new complaint against Visa Europe
Published: 15/06/2009 - last updated: 15/06/2009
12 years after its initial complaint against Visa and MasterCard, EuroCommerce is today lodging a new complaint against Visa Europe.
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EuroCommerce joins the healthy workplaces campaign on risk assessment
Published: 12/06/2009 - last updated: 12/06/2009
EuroCommerce has signed up as official partner of the Healthy Workplaces Campaign 2008-2009 promoted by the Occupational Health and Safety Agency.
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EuroCommerce welcomes new President
Published: 09/06/2009 - last updated: 09/06/2009
EuroCommerce is delighted to welcome its new President Dr Rainhardt Freiherr von Leoprechting, who was handed the reins at a ceremony last night in the presence of Commission Vice President Günter Verheugen. Dr von Leoprechting has worked for the German retailer and wholesaler, the Metro Group, since 1999 and has been head of corporate relations since 2004. He will formally take up the Presidency on 1 July.
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EuroCommerce welcomes Commission’s proposal to tackle the effects of the crisis
Published: 04/06/2009 - last updated: 04/06/2009
EuroCommerce welcomes the measures proposed by the European Commission in its Communication “A shared Commitment for employment” published yesterday. In its view, the Commission has been able to focus on the right priorities, with a special attention given to improve vocational training in order to better match labour market needs.
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EuroCommerce welcomes RFID recommendation with reservations
Published: 12/05/2009 - last updated: 12/05/2009
Brussels, 12 May 2009 - EuroCommerce agrees in principle with the Commission’s Recommendation on data protection for RFID.
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EuroCommerce calls on European institutions to make "think small first" the rule at last
Published: 06/05/2009 - last updated: 06/05/2009
Brussels, 6 May 2009: EuroCommerce calls on the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Member States, to make the "think small first" principle the rule in EU legislation and no longer the exception.
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EuroCommerce regrets the absence of a solution on working time
Published: 30/04/2009 - last updated: 30/04/2009
Brussels, 29 April 2009: EuroCommerce is strongly disappointed that no agreement could be found on the controversial revision of the working time directive despite five years of negotiations.
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Retail Forum discusses priority areas to improve sustainable consumption
Published: 29/04/2009 - last updated: 29/04/2009
Brussels, 29 April 2009: Tomorrow 30 April, European retailers and the Commission will hold their first Retail Forum meeting. All interested parties are invited to discuss the roadmap and timetable of the Forum for the next three years and to set out how they intend to contribute to the promotion of sustainable consumption. The first issue to be addressed by the Forum is to be energy efficiency in stores.
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Retail accepts, with conditions, direct debit compromise
Published: 24/04/2009 - last updated: 24/04/2009
Brussels, 24 April 2009 - Compromise on direct debit must be a two-way street
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EuroCommerce broadly supports proposed revision of late payments directive
Published: 08/04/2009 - last updated: 08/04/2009
Brussels, 8 April 2009 - EuroCommerce considers today's proposal of the European Commission to revise the directive on combating late payments in commercial transactions a step in the right direction.
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EuroCommerce welcomes antitrust action against Visa
Published: 07/04/2009 - last updated: 07/04/2009
Brussels, 7 April 2009: An interchange-free Europe: yes we can!
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EP plenary vote on Equal Treatment Directive is unsatisfactory for commerce sector
Published: 03/04/2009 - last updated: 03/04/2009
Brussels, 3 April 2009: Yesterday the European Parliament voted in plenary on the directive proposal regarding the equal treatment of persons irrespective of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation. EuroCommerce reacted with disappointment to this vote.
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EuroCommerce dismayed at MasterCard compromise
Published: 01/04/2009 - last updated: 01/04/2009
Brussels, 1 April 2009: MasterCard deal sells out retailers and consumers
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Consumers and retailers for a 1 eurocent card
Published: 31/03/2009 - last updated: 31/03/2009
Brussels, 31st March 2009: European associations of consumers and retailers are urging the European Commission to pave the way for more efficient payment means in Europe.
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Batzeli report: a vote against the interests of SMEs, consumer choice and purchasing power
Published: 26/03/2009 - last updated: 26/03/2009
Brussels, 26 March 2009: Today, the European Parliament adopted the report by MEP Katerina Batzeli on food prices in Europe. The commerce sector regrets the biased and unbalanced approach of this report. As we enter a recession which will affect the whole of Europe, and in particular consumers’ purchasing power, the report fails to provide a solution to real issues: consumers’ purchasing power and farmers’ revenues.
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EuroCommerce warmly welcomes statement on SEPA Direct Debit
Published: 24/03/2009 - last updated: 24/03/2009
Brussels, 24 March 2009: The retail sector is highly satisfied with the joint statement from the European Commission and the European Central Bank.
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Farmers, consumers and merchants deserve a balanced debate!
Published: 23/03/2009 - last updated: 23/03/2009
Brussels, 23 March 2009: Tomorrow, the European Parliament will vote on the report by MEP Katerina Batzeli on the gap between producer prices and the prices paid by consumers. The commerce sector regrets the biased and unbalanced approach of this report. After a year of high price volatility and as we enter a recession which will affect the whole of Europe, we in the commerce sector seek a balanced debate on food prices and on the competitiveness of the food supply chain. This is becoming increasingly important as companies in commerce fight to achieve the best prices for their customers, whose purchasing power is under threat.
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Commerce calls for tangible measures from EU summit
Published: 18/03/2009 - last updated: 18/03/2009
Brussels, 18 March 2009: Six months into what may be the deepest recession since the 1930s, commerce insists on real conclusions from the 2009 EU Spring Summit. It is crucial that the heads of Europe’s member states finally come up with strong, decisive and tangible measures on three main issues:
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Eurovignette vote: mixed results say business organisations
Published: 11/03/2009 - last updated: 11/03/2009
Brussels, 11 March 2009 - European business organisations UEAPME Transport Forum, EUROCHAMBRES and EuroCommerce welcome and regret the signal emanating from today's contradictory voting results on the Eurovignette directive at the European Parliament's plenary session.
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Despite recession retail companies moving forward on sustainability
Published: 02/03/2009 - last updated: 02/03/2009
Brussels: Tomorrow, 3 March, retail sector representatives will meet Commissioners Kuneva and Dimas to launch the Retail Forum at an event held in the Committee of Regions. This Forum is the first of two specific initiatives which make up the Retailers Environmental Action Programme (REAP).
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EUROVIGNETTE directive III : a concerning dis-concert
Published: 12/02/2009 - last updated: 12/02/2009
A large Group of Industry Associations on the results of the vote of the European Parliament’s Transport and Tourism Committee on Eurovignette III: A concerning dis-concert.
On 11th February 2009 the Report on the Eurovignette Proposal (a Directive of the European Parliament and the Council amending Directive 1999/62/EC on the charging of heavy goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructures, so-called “Eurovignette III”) was voted on in the Transport and Tourism (TRAN) Committee of the European Parliament.
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EUROVIGNETTE directive
Published: 11/02/2009 - last updated: 12/02/2009
Mixed results from Committee vote for business organisations
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