No crisis in sight here - online sales in some countries have actually increased. Online shopping is quick and easy, with articles delivered all the way to your home door. The only problem: should something go wrong, who do you complain to? The problems o

Reporter: Business is booming on the internet

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/13697500/M003-0048-EN.srt

More and more consumers   trust the internet.

This year online sales in Europe   are expected to grow by 20%

according to British studies. But how can   we protect Europeans who buy online?

That's the priority for   the EP's Internal Market Committee.

No crisis on the internet.   This year in France,

after six days of the sales,   sales via the internet shot up by 19%,

according to the French Federation   for E-Commerce.

The recession seems to have helped   the boom in online sales.

E-commerce attracts buyers   looking for the best prices.

Sarenza.com is a French website   selling shoes online.

On the internet there's no queuing in   shops, you know exactly what's in stock,

so it's much easier to order   on the internet.

In 2008, e-commerce generated   12% of business turnover in the EU.

Ireland was the champion,   ahead of Finland and Sweden.

But in European legislation   there are still many grey areas,

particularly in the case   of cross-border purchases.

We would like to have the same system   of collective redress in every country

that would allow consumers   who have a problem with a trader,

in terms of consumer protection,   to solve it, wherever they are -

if they are in Belgium and   bought from Romania or from England...

Right now, even if a consumer wants   to take the illegal trader to court,

he can't because he's in another country.

is what happens if the goods   aren't delivered, or are damaged,

or what happens   if you change your mind.

All these aspects must be   looked at by the EU.

There are more buyers' problems   than possibilities,

but we see willingness from   the Commission to address the issues,

because they realise the potential   of the online market.

This could be a factor to help the EU   come out of the economic crisis.

To make purchases it's often necessary   to give your credit card number

but online sales sites like MisterGoodDeal   want to reassure people.

We use them confidentially,   it's like a black box for us.

People really shouldn't worry about   the use that could be made of that data.

When we do commercial operations,   like mail shots,

we send them to people   who have accepted.

Neelie Kroes is in the new post of   Commissioner for the Digital Agenda.

The aim is to clarify the situation   and to avoid wrongdoing.

Some still take advantage   of the legal void on the internet.

We'd like consumers to be   at the heart of the digital agenda.

We'd really like to focus on issues   of privacy, data protection,

We'll see how it develops.   It's good to have a digital agenda,

but how will we follow up on this   and put it into practice?

These issues grow in importance   with the digital shopping cart.

We're not just buying   clothes or films online.

a drive-in where you collect   your goods bought online.

Lately, some, like Auchan, have started   offering home delivery, and it's working -

the group recently said that it's doubling   the staff of its internet subsidiary.