EU Commission’s e-commerce sector inquiry: Some thoughts as to how technology can assist companies in responding to potential requests for information

[1] I. Introduction 1. In Europe, 315 million people use the Internet every day. [2] In the digital era, doing business without the use of the Internet has become inconceivable. 2. The newly designated Competition Commissioner, Ms. Vestager, recently mentioned that “We have to make our European companies ready to compete in the digital economy at fair prices for consumers.” [3] The objective is to extend the Single Market for physical goods to the digital world in order to achieve a so-called Digital Single Market (“DSM”). [4] 3. Most importantly, Ms. Vestager pointed out that in 2014 one European consumer in two used e-commerce but only 15% did so across national borders and only 7% of small and medium sizes enterprises (SME’s) sell cross-border. [5] II. The EC e-commerce sector