THE FUTURE OF EUROPEAN E-COMMERCE
A major concern for businesses engaged in European e-commerce is pending legislation, called Rome II, that would grant legal authority for resolving cross-border e-commerce disputes to the country in which a consumer lives. According to a July 2001 E-Commerce Times article, "Rome II, if enacted as is, has the potential to stunt the growth of international e-commerce. We are talking about stunting the growth in a way unlike any other issue from tax debates to security glitches." Critics of the legislation believe it would dissuade many companies from expanding into Europe, due to the costs and complexity associated with understanding and complying with such a diverse group of regulations. The outcome of this proposal, expected to be subject to a vote by the European Commission by the beginning of 2002, along with the continued rate of telecommunications deregulation within European countries, will factor significantly in the future of European e-commerce.
FURTHER READING:
Addison, Dominick. "Free Web Access Business Model is Unsustainable in the Long Term." Marketing, August 9, 2001.
Dembeck, Chet. "Internet Gold Rush Grips Europe." E-Commerce Times, August 17, 1999. Available from www.ecommercetimes.com.
"E-Commerce Growth Quickens." Europe, October 1999.
Freeserve.com. "Our History." London: Dixons Group plc, 2001. Available from www.aboutfreeserve.com.
Fry, Andy. "Online Shockwaves." Campaign, April 13, 2001.
Greenberg, Paul A. "Blurring the Borders of E-Commerce." E-Commerce Times, July 3, 2001. Available from www.ecommercetimes.com.
——. "Europe Struggles to Standardize E-Commerce Laws." E-Commerce Times, November 1, 1999. Available from www.ecommercetimes.com.
Gwin, Peter. "AOL's European Expansion." Europe, June 2001.
Hewitt, Patricia, and Andrew Pinder. "Online Strategy is Back on Schedule." Computer Weekly, March 29, 2001.
"Ireland Becoming Europe's E-Commerce Hub." PR Newswire, December 17, 1999.
Mahoney, Michael. "Europe Learns Its E-Commerce Dos and Don'ts." E-Commerce Times, April 20, 2001. Available from www.ecommercetimes.com.
Milmo, Sean. "E-Commerce Gains Speed as Europe Evolves." Chemical Market Reporter, October 25, 1999.
Perera, Rick. "Most European Dot-Coms Still Afloat." The Standard, September 19, 2001. Available from www.thestandard.com.
Spiegel, Rob. "Europe Closing E-Commerce Gap with U.S." E-Commerce Times, December 21, 1999. Available from www.ecommercetimes.com.
Yates, Karen. "Dixons Provides Free Internet Access to Gain Retail Foothold." Campaign, October 30, 1998.
User Comments Add a comment…