eBay Small Business Owners Visit Policymakers in Rome

October 22, 2025

The eBay Government Relations Team recently welcomed a group of four Italian small business owners to Rome for meetings with policymakers at the Italian Chamber of Deputies, the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as part of eBay’s 2025 Italy Advocacy Day.

On occasion of the Advocacy event, eBay and the Ministry of Agriculture also renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation in combating counterfeiting and protecting Italian agri-food and wine excellence. The renewal formalized over a decade of partnership and reinforced eBay’s commitment to safeguard Italian geographical indications online.

The delegation included Emanuele Iodice of Bruno Tras. Ferr., Maria Gabriella Russo of You Dream Italy, Michelina Romano of Rubik Elettronica, and Fabio Lorini of Brixiamoto, and they represented the Campania, Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy Regions, respectively.  They were joined by Samantha Wellington, eBay SVP, Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel & Secretary; Cathy Foster, eBay VP of Global Government Relations & Public Policy; Margot Olifson, eBay Italy Country Manager; Michele Casucci, Founder & General Manager, Certilogo; and other members of the eBay Government Relations and Certilogo Teams.

The Advocacy Day gave these entrepreneurs — who sell everything from auto parts to gourmet food and electronics — a chance to share their inspiring stories and talk about how e-commerce has opened new markets, fueled growth, and transformed the way they do business. They also discussed how eBay empowers small businesses to overcome geographical barriers, and showcase Made in Italy products with international shoppers. Many also reflected on how e-commerce has enabled them to better juggle family life, grow long-standing family enterprises, and reach a broader, more diverse customer base.

Discussions also focused on how eBay actively supports Italian entrepreneurship by providing a global, level-playing-field marketplace that empowers sellers to export Italian excellence and innovation to 134 million buyers worldwide. Trust and safety are core to our community with the goal of providing users with a safe and reliable shopping experience: over 98.8% of prohibited item violations are blocked before they appear on the site and in the past year alone, we proactively removed around 5.9 million potentially counterfeit or prohibited items.  Additionally, for more than 30 years, eBay has helped millions of people and businesses give products a second life — whether by selling items they no longer need or by making refurbished goods and spare parts easier to find. It’s a big reason why eBay plays such an important role in the circular economy.

The event also marked the publication of our 2025 eBay Small Business Activity Across Italy Report, which reveals strong communities of eBay small businesses in areas that are not the wealthiest or most populous urban hubs.  In fact, the data shows a striking example of inclusive e-commerce success, with economically challenged areas dominating the ranking of per capita eBay small business success.  For example, the Campania Region, ranking highest in our Index of small business per capita selling activity, has the second-highest share of its population at risk of poverty or social exclusion, the highest unemployment rate, and third-lowest regional GDP per capita.  The report further underscores eBay’s role as a catalyst for international growth and diversification. Impressively, 95% of eBay small businesses in Italy are exporters—compared to only 4.2% of traditional businesses—and 51% reach customers in at least 10 international markets. You can listen to our podcast for more insights from the report.

At eBay, we’re committed to helping Italian SMEs grow, adapt, and innovate. Through training, tools, and insights, we’re empowering sellers to meet changing market needs, embrace digital opportunities, and compete on both local and global levels.  We’re incredibly grateful to the sellers who joined us in Rome — representing small businesses across Italy — and for making this year’s Advocacy Day such a success.