EU ends discrimination against consumers

Péter Göndöcz
partner
Deloitte Legal Ügyvédi Iroda

After a long period of negotiations, the European Union gave green light to the Geo-Blocking Regulation in the spring of 2018. The new regulation addresses unjustified online sales discrimination based on customers’ nationality, place of residence or place of establishment within the internal market, regulating sales, prices, payment conditions, etc.

According to Dr Péter Göndöcz, a partner of Deloitte Legal Law Firm, as of December 2018 the regulation will affect every retail enterprise that sells abroad too – no matter whether from an actual shop or via a website – but will have the biggest influence on online sellers, as it is mostly them who discriminate against customers.

The regulation ensures that customers can buy from retailers which are operating in another EU member state and don’t deliver to the country of the buyer. Retailers can decide which payment methods they wish to use, but they must offer these without discrimination, e.g. payment with a Maestro bank card should be allowed in both the country where the online shop is based and in the buyer’s member state. //