EU abandons controversial clauses in Consumer Rights Directive

As reported in Retail Week the European Parliament has bowed down to pressure from retailers and abandoned plans to force retailers to offer free returns from anywhere in Europe and deliver to all EU countries.

The deal which has been agreed between Parliament and the European Council will, subject to formal ratification by the European Parliament, remove the controversial clauses from the proposed Consumer Rights Directive.

Online retail trade body IMRG calculated that the changes would have added £8.7bn per year in delivery charges – 4% of the total European online consumer spend.

The European Parliament has also amended the clause which obliged retailers to sell to all member states of the EU. It now requires retailers to make it clear, early in the transaction process, if and why it does not deliver to specific countries.

Clauses which double the existing time in the UK that customers have to inform the retailer they are returning goods to 14 days remain within the proposed Consumer Rights Directive.

Fashionista eagerly awaits final confirmation from the European Parliament (due later this summer) as to whether it accepts the proposals……..