In 2018, the Geo-blocking Regulation came into effect. With the help of this measure, the European Commission sought to put an end to the unjustified discrimination faced by EU consumers in some circumstances. The Regulation tried creating more opportunities for trade between consumers and businesses, preventing unjustified different treatment of consumers based on their nationality or residency when they try to avail offers, prices, or sales conditions in another Member State.
Fast forward to 2025, and in February of this year, the European Commission launched a call for evidence in light of the upcoming review of the Geo-blocking Regulation (GBR). Ecommerce Europe reacted to this by submitting a response emphasising the need for careful, evidence-based policymaking to avoid unintended harm to Europe’s e-commerce ecosystem.
While we agree that the GBR has brought some positive changes, persistent obstacles continue to limit its effectiveness. Practical barriers such as rules for packaging, recycling, and labelling requirements of goods across the EU are hindering traders’ ability to enhance cross-border sales. Other aspects which inhibit the effects of the GBR relate to the following: low consumer demand for cross-border purchases and technical IT constraints.
The main ask of our response focuses on avoiding forced cross-border delivery. We strongly oppose any obligation for online merchants to deliver across all EU countries. Doing so could disproportionately burden SMEs and erode competitiveness. Cross-border logistics are complex and costly, and forcing universal delivery would disrupt services for the majority of consumers who are satisfied with domestic options.
Besides this, we also proposed to improve the GBR by: (a) Acknowledging genuine technical and operational constraints; (b) Recognising limitations in payment method availability; (c) Allowing fraud prevention tools like limiting deliveries to pick-up points; (d) Clarifying pricing rules that reflect real market differences. More broadly, the EU should focus on harmonising tax, consumer, and delivery regulations, reducing legal fragmentation, and addressing language and distribution barriers.
Overall, while the GBR has had a positive impact, more holistic efforts are needed to remove remaining barriers to cross-border trade. Above all, businesses must retain the freedom to choose how and where they operate within the Single Market.