This in-depth report provides insights into the unprecedented trade success of eBay-enabled small businesses across the European Union (EU). Using trade data, the report describes how the online platform model for commerce is allowing small businesses and entrepreneurs in every country of the EU to extend their geographic reach and actively engage with global customers.     

Key findings include that nearly every eBay-enabled small business in the EU is an exporter and that this is powering new enterprise development, resulting in robust rates of younger firms on eBay, especially in Member States with the highest startup rates.

In addition, the report includes policy recommendations aimed at improving conditions for independent small businesses throughout the EU that are using technology to reach beyond their local market. Among these proposals are initiatives to lower market access barriers and costs and enhance legal and institutional stability and trust, in key areas such as taxation, parcel delivery, and extended producer responsibility. Our findings suggest these factors could also help provide for a more geographically inclusive economic recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.