This event has now taken place. Keep an eye out here for updates on a future event!

Overview

The European E-Commerce Conference, now in its 11th year, is the premier gathering for policymakers, regulators, industry leaders, and stakeholders from across Europe. This conference provides a platform for discussing the latest e-commerce policies, regulations, and practices in the EU and beyond.

The conference, which will take place on the 23rd May in Brussels, will feature keynote speeches, panel discussions, and interactive sessions on a range of topics related to e-commerce policy.

We are pleased to announce that Didier Reynders, European Commissioner for Justice, will open this year’s conference.

Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in discussions, share insights, and network with peers from a range of sectors, including government, industry, and civil society. The conference will also provide a platform for policymakers to exchange best practices and lessons learned in the development and implementation of e-commerce policies and regulations across Europe.

Join us at Europe’s most vibrant and dynamic e-commerce policy conference. Register now and be a part of the future of e-commerce policy in the EU!

Keynote Speaker

Reynders speaker white circle

Didier Reynders

European Commissioner for Justice

Key Themes

Consumer protection and empowerment

Cross-border e-commerce

SMEs and the digital single market

E-Commerce, sustainability and the European Green Deal

Highlights Video

Agenda

All times are CEST time zone

Agenda coming soon!

Check back here for regular updates.

Event Day
2023-05-23
10:15 - 10:40
Reception and Welcome Coffee
10:40 - 10:45
Opening Remarks
10:45 - 11:00
Keynote Speech
Keynote Speech image
Didier Reynders
Commissioner for Justice, European Commission
11:00 - 11:10
Keynote Speech
Keynote Speech image
Eva Faict
Country Manager, Belgium, Amazon
11:10 - 11:25
Keynote Speech
Keynote Speech image
Alexia Bertrand
Secretary of State for Budget and Consumer Protection, Ministry of Justice, Belgium
11:25 - 12:30
Panel Discussion – The New Consumer Agenda: Delivering Online Fairness for Consumers

The European Commission, as part of its New Consumer Agenda, is currently analysing existing EU consumer laws to ensure they are fit for the digital age. The fitness check, launched earlier this year, will focus on updates made by the Omnibus Directive (including the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, Unfair Contract Terms Directive, and the Consumer Rights Directive). It will also consider other consumer legislation, such as the Digital Services Act, Digital Markets Act, Artificial Intelligence Act, and the Data Act. In the context of the digital fairness public consultation and the broader development of the consumer acquis, this session will focus on the latest developments in consumer policy in Europe and how this relates to the successful growth of the single digital single market in the EU.

Panel Discussion – The New Consumer Agenda: Delivering Online Fairness for Consumers image
Filip Van den Abeele
Freelance Journalist and Moderator
Panel Discussion – The New Consumer Agenda: Delivering Online Fairness for Consumers image
Blanca Rodriguez Galindo
Acting Director, Unit B2.2, DG JUST, European Commission
Panel Discussion – The New Consumer Agenda: Delivering Online Fairness for Consumers image
Ursula Pachl
Deputy Director General, BEUC
Panel Discussion – The New Consumer Agenda: Delivering Online Fairness for Consumers image
James Waterworth
Director, EU Public Policy, Amazon
Panel Discussion – The New Consumer Agenda: Delivering Online Fairness for Consumers image
Luca Cassetti
Secretary General, Ecommerce Europe
12:30 - 13:45
Lunch
13:45 - 14:50
Panel Discussion – European SMEs Online: Fine Tuning the Digital Single Market to Facilitate SME Cross-Border Trade

With SMEs employing more than two-thirds of the European workforce, the EU is working to increase the resilience of SMEs, particularly in the current financial and geopolitical context. However, ensuring the single market provides a level-playing field for SMEs in Europe is an ongoing and evolving project. For SMEs wishing to expand beyond their national borders into other EU markets, the associated potential administrative burden can present a barrier to economic growth, for example, in the case of VAT, where companies must grapple with 27 disparate sets of rules, depending on their geographical footprint. The European Commission seeks to address this issue, and VAT fraud, through the VAT in the Digital Age package and to simplify and tighten the reporting requirements for SMEs within the Union. Additionally, several other areas are subject to current activity, including SMEs and IP protection through the new 2023 SME Fund and continuing work to reduce barriers to trade in goods and services. This session will assess the current state of play regarding SMEs and their essential role in the EU economy. It will seek to identify what is working and what continues to require attention to optimise the ability for SMEs to trade online as freely as possible throughout the Union.

Panel Discussion – European SMEs Online: Fine Tuning the Digital Single Market to Facilitate SME Cross-Border Trade image
Filip Van den Abeele
Freelance Journalist and Moderator
Panel Discussion – European SMEs Online: Fine Tuning the Digital Single Market to Facilitate SME Cross-Border Trade image
Amaryllis Verhoeven
Head of Unit, Digital Transformation of Industry, DG GROW, European Commission
Panel Discussion – European SMEs Online: Fine Tuning the Digital Single Market to Facilitate SME Cross-Border Trade image
Stefan Moritz
Secretary General, European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME
Panel Discussion – European SMEs Online: Fine Tuning the Digital Single Market to Facilitate SME Cross-Border Trade image
Stephan Tromp
Managing Director, IFS Management GmbH & Deputy Chief Executive, German Retail Association
Panel Discussion – European SMEs Online: Fine Tuning the Digital Single Market to Facilitate SME Cross-Border Trade image
Kostas Rossoglou
Head of Public Policy and Government Affairs, EMEA & International, Shopify
14:50 - 15:55
Panel Discussion – Sustainability and E-commerce: Online Trade and the Green Deal

From product design and manufacture to packing and delivery, e-commerce can enable more sustainable production processes and consumption patterns, driving increased circularity within the EU economy. But how can legislators, businesses, and consumers cooperate to ensure that e-commerce contributes its full potential to the European Green Deal? As the number of SMEs trading online increases, how can they be supported to navigate the complex legislative environment and avoid becoming the weak links in the sustainability chain? What are the large online marketplaces and retail platforms’ roles and responsibilities in this greening process? How should product information be provided to consumers to enable them to make more sustainable choices?

Panel Discussion – Sustainability and E-commerce: Online Trade and the Green Deal image
Filip Van den Abeele
Freelance Journalist and Moderator
Panel Discussion – Sustainability and E-commerce: Online Trade and the Green Deal image
Karen Ghysels
Karen Ghysels, Director, EEC NET Belgium
Panel Discussion – Sustainability and E-commerce: Online Trade and the Green Deal image
Pierre Hausemer
Managing Director, VVA Group
Panel Discussion – Sustainability and E-commerce: Online Trade and the Green Deal image
Leendert Jan de Olde
Director Ecodesign & Sustainability, Philips
Panel Discussion – Sustainability and E-commerce: Online Trade and the Green Deal image
Juliette Beaulaton
Public Affairs Advisor, Ecommerce Europe
Panel Discussion – Sustainability and E-commerce: Online Trade and the Green Deal image
Dustin Wisotzky
Partner, Oliver Wyman
15:55 - 16:00
Closing Remarks
16:00 - 18:00
Cocktail Reception
Select date to see events.

Speakers

 First confirmed speakers include:

Reynders speaker white circle

Didier Reynders

Commissioner for Justice, European Commission

mailing circle speaker image

Alexia Bertrand

Secretary of State for Budget and Consumer Protection, Ministry of Justice, Belgium

Eva 2mailing circle speaker image

Eva Faict

Country Manager, Belgium, Amazon

Blanca Rodriguez circle website image

Blanca Rodriguez Galindo

Acting Director, Unit B2.2, DG JUST, European Commission

Ursula 2

Ursula Pachl

Deputy Director General, BEUC

Stefan Moritz website pic

Stefan Moritz

Secretary General, European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME

Amaryllis Verhoeven circle website image

Amaryllis Verhoeven

Head of Unit, Digital Transformation of Industry, DG GROW, European Commission

James waterworth circle image 2

James Waterworth

Director, EU Public Policy, Amazon

Tromp

Stephan Tromp

Managing Director, IFS Management GmbH (IFS) and Deputy Chief Executive, German Retail Association (HDE)

Luca Cassetti cicle website imgae

Luca Cassetti

Secretary General, Ecommerce Europe

Kostas

Kostas Rossoglou

Head of Public Policy and Government Affairs, EMEA & International, Shopify

Karen ECC

Karen Ghysels

Director, EEC NET Belgium

Leendert

Leendert Jan de Olde

Director Ecodesign & Sustainability, Philips

Juliette 2

Juliette Beaulaton

Public Affairs Advisor, Ecommerce Europe

Pierre 1

Pierre Hausemer

Managing Director, VVA Group

Dustin

Dustin Wisotzky

Partner, Oliver Wyman

Filip website

Filip Van den Abeele

Freelance Journalist and Moderator

More confirmed speakers will be added here shortly.

Event Photos

Gallery from previous events

The event will be the eleventh edition of the E-Commerce Conference, and will see it return to Brussels for the first time since 2019.

Some images from pervious editions can be found below.


Contact

Should you have any questions about this event, please contact Forum Europe using the details below:

Tel: +44 (0) 2920 783 025

[email protected]

 

Location

Sparks, 60 rue Ravenstein – 1000 Brussels