Flash Eurobarometer 128 (Cross-Border Commerce)

Business and advertising practices of companies within the EU.<br>Topics: impact of the following factors on cross-border sales of the company: development of internet and e-commerce within the EU, introduction of the euro; impact of each of the following factors on the development of the company’s sales and advertising throughout the EU: language differences, currency differences, compliance with different national regulations on commercial practices, compliance with different national fiscal regulations, higher risk of fraud and outstanding payments in cross-border sales, greater difficulties in resolving cross-border complaints and conflicts, greater difficulty in ensuring efficient cross-border after-sales service; efficiency of selected measures with regard to the development of sales and advertising of the company throughout the EU: better information for companies on regulations related to consumer protection in other EU countries, replacement of national currencies by the euro, setting up independent arbitration and conciliation services for cross-border complaints and disputes, abiding by a European code of conduct and complying with different national regulations on consumer protection, harmonizing national regulations in relation to advertising and commercial practices as well as to consumer protection; percentage of cross-border sales with regard to internet sales; percentage of cross-border sales with regard to mail-order or telesales; percentage of cross-border sales with regard to sales by representatives; percentage of cross-border sales with regard to retail sales; percentage of cross-border sales with regard to sales to final consumers; percentage of total marketing and advertising budget used to encourage cross-border sales; impact of an assumed harmonisation of regulations on advertising, commercial practices and other regulations on consumer protection on the share of the budget to be used to encourage cross-border sales; ; impact of an assumed harmonisation of regulations on advertising, commercial practices and other regulations on consumer protection on the share of the company’s cross-border sales.

Demography: information about the company: number of employees in the own country, number of EU countries with subsidiaries or retail outlets, independent or part of national or international group; main activity of the company; sales or advertising to final consumers; position of respondent at the company.

Additionally coded was: questionnaire number; date of interview; time of the beginning of the interview; duration of the interview; country; SIC-Code; NACE-Code; weighting factor.