IT WOULD be easy to dismiss the new Consumer Rights Directive as yet more meddling from the European Union (EU).

For everyone in the North East, however, this new consumer legislation will have an effect.

It was drafted in order to bring European consumer laws into line with the evolving requirements of the digital age, so they should be seen as an extension of the status quo rather than something radically different.

In essence, they are there to protect people who buy online and, as with the extension of the UK Advertising Standards Authority’s remit to online businesses in March this year, there will be new factors to consider.

The UK Government now has two years to entrench these guidelines within domestic law, but it is worth still making sure that your business is compliant at the earliest opportunity.

Consumers also need to be aware of their rights in order to ensure that they are receiving the protection they are entitled to.

The new rules include an extension of the two-week cooling-off period that allows customers to return goods or cancel a service. This applies to all online purchases, excluding music, films and software.

Businesses will need to ensure that a compliant returns policy is displayed clearly on their website, along with clear guidelines for cancellations or returns.

One simple step that is bound to be popular with consumers is a ban on pre-ticked boxes, which are often used to make consumers unwittingly register for further information or hidden charges.

The new directive also outlaws cost traps, making sure that you will only pay for products and services which have been clearly outlined to you.

These reforms should have a positive effect for all ecommerce businesses in the North East, as well as their customers.

Online shoppers are frequently deterred and abandon their baskets when they discover hidden costs or conditions, so the Consumer Rights Directive should lead to an increase in consumer confidence and therefore in online sales.

This also comes hot on the heels of a ban on inflated payment charges imposed by airlines and ticket agencies.

There may be some minimal costs involved in the imposition of the new directive, but it really says nothing that responsible e-commerce businesses should not be doing already as a matter of best practice.

On the plus side, the legislation will see the opening of new markets for cross-border trade as universal standards are introduced across the European Economic Area.

Even though some think of the EU as a factory for red tape, the Consumer Rights Directive must get douze points for imposing sensible and necessary guidelines on the industry.

:: Pascal Fintoni is chief executive of Gateshead-based the Centre for eBusiness