#EuropeanRetailSector - Commissioner Bieńkowska speaks at high-level conference

Today (19 June), the European Commission is hosting a high-level conference on the EU retail sector. Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska (pictured) will deliver a keynote speech, taking stock of the developments since the Commission presented its Communication 'A European retail sector fit for the 21st century'.

The retail sector is one of the biggest sectors in the EU economy, with almost one in ten people working in over 3.6 million retail companies.The sector is changing rapidly with the development of e-commerce and multi-channel retailing, and has the potential to perform even better and more sustainably. In 2018, the Commission published a set of best practices to support member states' efforts to create a more open, integrated and competitive retail sector.

Within the last year, the Commission has been discussing with member states how to address restrictions and ensure that rules are proportionate. The Commission's Retail Restrictiveness Indicator set the scene for the debate.

The Commission has also launched a dedicated study on territorial supply constraints and organized a series of workshops across the EU to promote local initiatives to revitalize city centres and support small retailers. The conference will give all stakeholders, namely EU and national policy makers, international organisations, representatives of retail and other economic sectors, civil society and academia, the opportunity to take stock of the progress achieved and discuss the challenges ahead.

The conference is web-streamed and journalists can register by email. More information about the EU retail sector is available here.

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