Member states reached a ‘political agreement’ this week on a draft law to boost the Union’s fledgling e-commerce market

Date: 09/12/1999

The proposed directive would apply single market principles to e-commerce. This means that firms would only have to comply with the rules and regulations in the EU country where they are based to operate legally throughout the Union. The directive would establish a legal framework for online services such as newspapers, databases, financial products and the activities of professional groups such as lawyers. It would also limit the liability of network operators in cases where they “merely act as a conduit” for illegal content.