Most nations miss ecommerce deadline
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Fresh blow to web vendors as ten states drag their feet.
In a blow to efforts to harmonise ecommerce regulations across Europe, 10 out of the 15 member states of the European Union are believed to have missed the recent deadline for implementation of Brussels' key ecommerce directive. But little action will be taken against them, say lawyers – a fact that threatens to bring the entire process into disrepute.
"There are unlikely to be dramatic consequences as a result of the failure to meet the European Union (EU)'s timetable," according to UK-based law firm Masons. "Any action, if taken, is unlikely to reach the stage of financial penalties. It is possible that actions can be taken by aggrieved individuals who feel they have suffered loss – but again this is unlikely."
Only Germany, Austria, Finland, Ireland and Luxembourg had implemented the new policies by the deadline of 17 January 2002. In December 2001, the UK indicated it would not be implementing the new policies before summer 2002 to allow for more time to consult industry and clarify the meaning of parts of the directive. It remains unclear when the other nine member states will follow suit.
The EU's ecommerce directive sets policies on such matters as cross-border transactions, unsolicited email, the legal liability of so-called 'intermediate' service providers and the information that an online service provider must provide to a consumer.
