The European Union's consumer chief is considering new rules to help Europe's online consumers shop across borders.

According to Reuters, while 150 million EU citizens shop online, only 30m buy goods and services from another EU state.

EU consumer commissioner Meglena Kuneva said she intended to propose new legislation this autumn designed to cut through the "current jungle" of complex laws. "I will table a simplified common set of rules for business to consumer contracts across the EU," she said.

"A single, simple set of core rights and obligations will make it easier for consumers and business to buy and sell across Europe."

She added: "I believe the time has come to look closely at the legitimacy of market partitioning along national boundaries, notably in online retail."