News

On 31 July 2015, the EU Commission published the report of the High-level group on retail competitiveness. The report outlines the views of the Group on how to improve the competitiveness of the EU retail sector and create more jobs opportunities.

The Group identified five key themes that are considered essential for improving the competitiveness of the retail sector:

• removing barriers to a Single Market for retail services;
• supporting the development of e-commerce;
• helping SMEs to grow;
• promoting innovation;
• addressing working environment issues.

Amongst others, the report shows that the retail sector has an essential role to play in stimulating growth and job creation in the Internal Market.

The group also discussed the impact of e-commerce on all the main areas identified given that its development is bringing far-reaching changes to the sector.

The sector has gone through a huge transformation with the emergence of new business models and the increasing investment of retail companies into the on-line business. The new era of digitalization in commerce and the use of new technologies have huge implications on work organisation, working time and employment relationships. This has been at the core of the discussion within the HLG. Issues such as work life balance, skills anticipation and transferability, update of training programmes and qualifications and a European framework for quality apprenticeships were among the topics addressed and on which recommendations are based upon. While the “new way of doing business” in retail is offering new opportunities for growth to many companies, UNI Europa stressed that for a fair and inclusive growth, increasing the opportunities to offer quality jobs and avoid a further precarisation of employment in the sector are key.

The Commission will carefully consider the recommendations of the High Level Group when drafting its future policies.

Background

The High Level Group, which represents different stakeholders in the retail sector and supply chain, was established in December 2013 to assist the Commission in developing policies to increase the long-term competitiveness of the EU retail sector. UNI Europa has since then been an active member by voicing the interests of retail workers throughout the mandate of the group.

UNI Europa has been actively involved in the debate and formulation of the recommendations. UNI Europa took the lead in the working environment group by defining its key priorities, but it has also ensured that social considerations were incorporated into the strategic plan discussed by the e-commerce group.