The European Single Market was established 30 years ago, and, as the New Legislative Framework (NLF) is being revised, organisations representing a broad spectrum of the industrial sector, ranging from manufacturers to retailers, are calling on the Commission to deliver now on its promise of digitisation and simplification, and to allow the digital transmission of regulatory information to supplement or, where appropriate, replace paper-based requirements.

Their argument is simple: every day, products placed on the European Union market are accompanied by detailed printed regulatory information (manuals, safety instructions, etc.), and, when this same information is readily available in digital form, requiring it to be provided on paper can result in unnecessary environmental, operational and financial costs. This is despite the fact that European citizens are increasingly relying on digital devices and tools to access information.
For industry, therefore, the requirement to provide information in paper form and the differing language requirements from one country to another create unnecessary barriers, increase costs, complicate compliance and have a considerable environmental impact, without adding any value for consumers.

Hence this cross-sector call: with the revision of the New Legislative Framework (NLF), the EU institutions have an opportunity to promote digitalisation across …