Technology has fundamentally changed the nature of international commerce by allowing small businesses and consumers to become direct trade actors and transact across borders. SMEs anywhere in the world can find and serve customers across the globe without having a physical establishment in each country they serve. This new form of trade challenges authorities across different governance areas – from market surveillance to tax and consumer protection authorities.
In order to keep online trade open, the European Commission should take the lead in developing international policy approaches for common challenges in cooperation with key trading blocks. For example, fostering international product safety standards and enforcement mechanisms will support EU independent small businesses in their international expansion as well as enhance EU consumer purchasing power. Building regulatory walls around the European online commerce market will only benefit the incumbent and relatively larger EU players.