Local commerce for Europe

In a month's time, the EU will go to the polls and citizens will elect their leaders for the next five years. That’s why we are sharing how Wolt is contributing to making European cities better and also communicating what we need to deliver on our mission. In this blog, you’ll find the key points of our EU Manifesto and highlights from our launch event. You can read the full Manifesto here.

“We need to continue making the EU Single Market stronger, and it is important that policymakers work together with companies to remove obstacles for growth in Europe” - Finnish Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering, Anders Adlercreutz at the Wolt EU event.

Wolt believes in a Europe that succeeds from the ground up. Our vision encompasses the villages, rural towns, and, of course, vibrant cities. And we want to think we can play an integral part in helping communities thrive. The digital age has transformed every economy into a global one, placing many local businesses at a disadvantage in competition against the world's largest retailers and e-commerce giants. For us, local commerce is about giving SMEs, brick-and-mortar stores, and other local businesses the means to level the playing field, and continue servicing their customers and communities better than ever instead of being squeezed out of business, leaving behind hollow city centers and dying towns.

That’s why we think it is integral that in the next and following mandates, the EU embraces the opportunities in local commerce. In practice, operating online should be as easy and convenient for small businesses as running their store is. This means simpler and more aligned rules, including opening up of online sales of restricted categories such as medicines. Whilst getting the rules right is important, even more fundamentally, we need to ensure that both innovative companies like Wolt but also small shops have the people they need.

The EU’s labour market is in transition: new skills are needed, many experts are either retiring or pursuing opportunities outside of Europe, and we still haven’t quite figured out how to best support those new to our continent. We need to improve safety nets for flexible work, and we need to make it easier for talent to move into and within Europe. As long as each Member State optimizes solely for its own needs, we won't fully realize the potential of the single market, including in terms of labor.

Finally, Europe should find the right balance between innovation and disruption on the one hand, and regulations and safeguards, on the other hand. Robust impact assessments and a risk-based approach are foundational to a more fit-for-purpose regulatory framework for tech. Together, policymakers and industry need to continue to demystify tech and through transparency, build trust in new products, solutions, and services making citizens’ lives more convenient.

Wolt’s EU team is looking forward to the elections. Hopefully, the EU agenda for the next 5 years is well aligned with our vision. We wish best of luck to all the candidates and look towards constructive dialogue with future policymakers and other stakeholders. Let’s bring local commerce to the spotlight! 

To access the full Wolt EU Manifesto 2024, click here.