The digital transformation is profoundly changing the way consumers access product information. Labels, instructions, warnings and mandatory content can now be made available through digital tools, creating new opportunities in terms of accessibility, updating and data management.
It is against this backdrop that the Digital Consumer Information Alliance has published its Manifesto, bringing together 22 trade associations active across different sectors, technologies and product groups. APPLiA, the European association representing the home appliance industry, is among the key contributors to the initiative and has helped shape six recommendations for a more coherent and practical approach to digital consumer information across the Single Market.
Six recommendations for a more digital Europe
The Manifesto starts from a clear consideration: the growing digitalisation of the economy requires a regulatory framework capable of supporting innovation without creating new obstacles for companies operating across Europe.
One of the priorities identified by the Digital Consumer Information Alliance is the principle of “One Product, One EU Data Carrier”, whereby a single product should have one data carrier valid across the European Union.
The aim is to prevent the proliferation of different systems across Member States and promote a simpler and more consistent approach to managing information.
A second key element is the need to ensure interoperable and machine-readable data, structured in a way that allows information to be read and used not only by people, but also by digital systems. Greater interoperability could facilitate the exchange of information between different platforms and applications, supporting the evolution of the digital ecosystem.
Technological neutrality and innovation
The principle of technological neutrality also plays a central role in the recommendations.
Under the proposed approach, European legislation should establish clear requirements and objectives without necessarily tying their fulfilment to a specific technology. This would allow companies and operators to adopt the solutions best suited to their needs, while leaving room for future innovation.
Technological neutrality is therefore identified as one of the elements needed to build a system that remains effective over time, particularly in a sector characterised by rapid technological development.
More digital information, less fragmentation
The recommendations also call for the digitalisation of certain mandatory consumer information. Moving towards digital solutions could make it possible to provide a broader range of content, facilitate updates and make information more flexible and accessible.
However, the Alliance stresses that this transition should be supported by a consistent regulatory framework at European level.
Another of the six recommendations therefore focuses on the need to avoid further fragmentation resulting from divergent national approaches. Different rules across Member States could increase complexity for companies operating within the Single Market, requiring them to adopt different solutions for different markets.
The objective is therefore to promote a harmonised approach capable of ensuring consistent conditions across the European Union.
Adequate transition periods for businesses
The transition towards digital information systems also requires proportionate implementation timelines and arrangements.
The Digital Consumer Information Alliance therefore calls for new provisions to be accompanied by sufficient transition periods, allowing companies to adapt their processes, IT systems and products to new regulatory requirements.
For industrial sectors characterised by international supply chains and complex production cycles, adequate implementation periods are an important factor in ensuring an orderly transition towards new digital systems.
APPLiA: contributing to a common European framework
Through its contribution to the Manifesto, APPLiA brings the perspective of the home appliance industry to the European debate, representing a sector directly affected by the growing digitalisation of product information.
The six recommendations identified by the Alliance share a common objective: to build a digital information system that is clear, interoperable, technologically neutral and uniformly applicable across the Single Market.
The call to European policymakers is therefore to support a clear, harmonised and future-proof framework capable of accompanying the digital transformation without creating new regulatory barriers.
For Europe, the challenge will be to strike a balance between innovation, consumer needs and proportionate requirements for businesses. In this context, the shift from traditional to digital information is not merely a technological change, but also an opportunity to rethink the rules of the Single Market in a more efficient and coordinated way.
The home appliance and consumer electronics industry, together with its entire supply chain, will gather again at the next edition of Applitech, the only trade fair of its kind in Europe, which will take place from November 10 to 12, 2027, at Bologna Exhibition Center, featuring an extensive conference program.