Europe confronts a low level of trust in cross-border shopping, European Commissioner for consumer protection Meglena Kuneva said in Bucharest on Monday. It was her first such visit to the Romanian capital after Romania and her country Bulgaria joined the EU on January 1, 2007.

She said only 6% of Europeans dared go shopping in other countries, which proves that this area of the internal market can be improved.

Kuneva said she would propose concrete rules in this regard by March 15, the European Consumer Day. And in the coming days she plans to present a Green Chart supporting a review of the most important European norms in the field of consumer protection.

The document will deal with protection measures for consumers who shop online, she said. Such a provision speaks of the confiential character of those who order things on websites. And she said rules in this regard should not make a difference between those who buy a CD and those who download music on the Internet.

The introduction of common regulations on consumer protection in Romania would not be an issue but the real application is the most important - and probably lasting - thing, she said.

During her stay in Bucharest Kuneva met members of the Romanian Government and representatives of the National Agency for Consumer Protection, where Romania’s action plan in this field was presented.