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BRUSSELS, Belgium - Selling bikes and bike products through the Internet? If yes, note that the EU is working on new legislation that stipulates that your website must provide terms of delivery in all 27 EU languages! Also you have to comply with the delivery terms valid in all the 27 member states of the European Union!

According to a recent report in the trade publication for the sporting goods sector in Europe, ‘Sporting Goods Intelligence’, the European Commission recently issued a Green Paper (COM (2006) 744 final), that proposes to change legislation on internet and mail order services and to reinforce the providers’ accountability for their actions.

The trade publication for the sporting good sector reports on a Finnish consumer purchasing products through the Internet from a Portuguese mail-order retailer, but had to accept the purchase conditions dictated by Portuguese law.

Sporting Goods Intelligence reports further: “Now the Commission is trying to turn the table around with a bill asking Internet and mail order dealers to meet the requirements of each single state of the European Union. What this means is that the Portuguese dealer will have to offer his terms of delivery in all languages officially recognized within the European Union of 27 member states. And he has to fulfil the various terms valid in the respective countries.”

According to the trade publication for the sporting goods sector, EMOTA, the European Distance Selling Trade Association is very concerned by the Green Paper as well as the German association BVH. They argue that no company can follow the civil law of all the 27 various member states as they can not afford the cost of the legal advice.

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