The European Commission Tuesday launched a new tool the eYouGuide to stimulate consumer's shopping online and give practical advice on the digital rights consumers have under EU law.

This guide addresses consumer issues like the rights towards your broadband provider, shopping on the web, downloading music and protecting personal data online and on social networking sites.

According to a new Eurobarometer survey, there are about 48.5% of EU households have a broadband internet connection, but only 12% web users feel safe making transactions on the internet, while 39% EU internet user have major doubts about safety, 42% do not dare carry out financial transactions online and 65% of internet users do not know where to get information and advice about cross-border shopping in the EU.

If we want consumers to shop around the web, then we need to give them confidence that their rights are guaranteed, “said Meglena Kuneva, the EU Consumer Commissioner. Internet has everything to offer consumers, but we need to build trust so that people can shop around with peace of mind.

The Eurobarometer shows that a third of consumers would consider buying online from another country because it is cheaper or better, but only 7% actually do so. Giving consumers clear information about their rights will increase trust and help release the full economic potential of Europe's single online market worthy of €106 billion in revenues.

In spite of progress made, we need to ensure that there is a single market for consumers as well as businesses on the web, said Viviane Reding, the EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media.