Online shoppers will have wider access to websites without being geo-blocked, or automatically re-routed to a more expensive Irish website, under proposals debated in the European Parliament.
MEPs in Strasbourg debated the move that will end unjustified geo-blocking.
It would mean consumers in Ireland will be able to buy products, book hotels, purchase concert tickets and pay for car rental from a website based in another EU member state rather than being redirected to a country-specific website where the product may be more expensive.
Geo-blocking refers to discriminatory practices that prevent online customers from accessing and purchasing a product or a service from a website based in another EU member state.
Instead the customer is automatically re-routed to a local site, and refused delivery or payment based on the location or place of residence of the user.
As a result of geo-blocking, consumers face different selling conditions for products or services purchased online on the basis of their IP address, their postal address or the country of issue of their credit card.
This week’s proposals aim to clamp down on these practices as they limit cross-border trade in the internal market and have caused concern over consumer protection, competition and copyright laws.
According to the European Parliament, the geo-blocking discrimination is applied in different forms by 63% of European websites.
The European Commissioner for the Digital Single Market, Andrus Ansip, told parliament: "Our aim is that by Christmas all Europeans will be able to enjoy online shopping without being blocked, rerouted or discriminated against."
He said that he wants to make the entire Digital Single Market a reality.
If MEPs vote for the proposals tomorrow then it will come into place in nine months time.
Then traders will have to treat online shoppers from other EU countries in the same way as local customers.
Copyrighted content such as e-books, downloadable music or online games are not covered by the new rules for the time being.
However a "review clause" has been inserted in the law, which requires the EU Commission to assess if the ban on geo-blocking should be widened to include copyrighted content.
On the issue of copyrighting, Czech MEP Dita Charanzova pointed out that the legislation will not fix the issue of geo-blocking TV in different member states and said that "we must end this artificial barrier in the digital single market."
Lithuanian MEP Antanaas Guoga pointed out that only 15% of EU citizens buy products online from outside their own country and he believes this is because of the geo-blocking practices that have been in place.
Concluding the debate Polish MEP Róża Thun, the rapporteur of the new proposals, said they will bring "positive changes to our daily lives."
She spoke of the need to "break down national silos" and suggested that future steps will involved the harmonization of VAT rues, unified copyright and improving parcel delivery across the EU.
