Brussels wants to make international sourcing easier

The European Commission wants to make international purchasing easier for retailers, responding to complaints about international purchasing barriers.

The EC is working on a plan for the extension of the geo-blocking regulation. This bans manufacturers from charging higher prices for products from countries other than their own. Retailers have long complained that manufacturers are trying to avoid international sourcing, which is often cheaper.

For months now, Dutch online supermarket Picnic has been selling a range of products sourced in Germany. This is parallel importing and Picnic is breaking the rules, although Picnic denies it. In times of high inflation and shrinking purchasing power, the EC wants to remove barriers. It is expected that this process will take some time. In the meantime, new obstacles are emerging. For example, French retailers will have to sign contracts for delivery under French law. In addition, Belgium is working on a deposit system of its own.

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