Orientation of proposal

The confidentiality of data and the protection of individual (citizens and consumers) and community rights should be guaranteed by laws and regulations.

Standards for consumer protection regarding e-commerce should conform to the following main principles.

1. Equivalence and harmonisation : e-commerce should not be treated differently to other kinds of commerce ; e-commerce consumers should not be given less protection than other types of commerce ; laws to protect the consumer should be revised to include e-commerce and be harmonised at national level.

2. Transparency and efficiency : consumers and companies should have easy and fast access to standards, which, to be effective, should be fair, realisable in practice and easily applicable.

3. Conformity at national level : the global dimension of the Internet requires coherence and harmony between legislation at international level. The orientations and standards established by the OECD and other international bodies should not interfere with laws enacted at national level.