Last week German parliamentarians, journalists, and members of various economic associations discussed the benefits of cross-border trade in an event titled “The Economic Potential of Online Cross-Border Trade.” The press event and panel discussion were hosted by Germany's eBay Inc. Government Relations team.

Cross-border trade is a big issue in Europe with statistics showing that three out of five Internet users in Germany alone have made online purchases from companies abroad. eBay’s Nikolaus Lindner started the event by presenting the results of eBay’s recent consumer survey and highlighting the perception of online trade by retail sellers. Also on the event panel were:

• Matthias Setzer, Senior Director Merchant Services at PayPal
• Dr. Gerrit Heinemann, Professor of Economics, Management and Trade and Head of the eWeb Research Center at the University Niederrhein in Monchengladbach
• Georg Abel, CEO of the German Federal Association “Consumer Initiative,” and
• Thomas Jarzombek, a member of the Committee of Inquiry on “Internet and Digital Society.”

The discussion was moderated by Uli Ries.