PromZ Vak 4 · 2026 · English edition

column

By Joke Bastinck

What if… all legislation across Europe were the same?

I am becoming increasingly aware of just how international our industry has become. Products, suppliers and customers no longer operate within national borders. A product manufactured in Poland today could be on a customer’s table in the Netherlands as early as next week. And precisely because of this internationalisation, we are increasingly confronted with a challenge faced by many entrepreneurs in our industry: regulations.

One Europe, many differences

One of the reasons the European Union was established was to enable the free movement of goods. Yet every day, we experience just how complicated this can be in practice. Although a great deal of European legislation is already in place, interpretations, additional national requirements and enforcement can still vary from one country to another.

A product that can be sold in Spain without any issues may still raise questions in another European country regarding documentation, language requirements or specific safety aspects. This may sound like a minor detail, but in practice, I see how quickly it can lead to additional questions, delays and uncertainty.

When compliance becomes part of everyday business

For us, as an intermediary in the promotional products industry, this creates additional work. Products must, of course, be safe, but we must also continually check whether all the required information is available for the market in which the product will be sold. This requires knowledge, time and, in many cases, additional costs. Sometimes it feels as though you are not only working on creative campaigns and responding to customer requests, but are also expected to be half a lawyer. This is particularly true because legislation concerning sustainability, product safety and compliance continues to develop at a rapid pace.

At the same time, we can see that Europe is taking more and more steps towards harmonisation. After all, the purpose of regulation is to create clarity and provide consumers with better protection. Nobody objects to that. Ultimately, no one benefits from unsafe products or unclear requirements.

Between regulations and reality

Just imagine how much more efficiently our industry could operate if an entrepreneur in Rotterdam encountered exactly the same rules as their counterpart in Barcelona, Milan or Stockholm. Fewer differences in interpretation. Less administrative work. More time and attention for innovation, sustainability and customer value.

The reality, of course, is that complete uniformity will probably remain a utopian ideal. Europe consists of countries with their own traditions, interests and enforcement practices. Nevertheless, I believe that the pursuit of greater harmonisation deserves our support. Not because entrepreneurs want to take less responsibility, but because clear and consistent rules lead to better compliance.

Fortunately, we do not have to do it alone

Perhaps the real question is therefore not “What if all legislation were the same?”

Perhaps it should be “How can we make sure that entrepreneurs across Europe understand more quickly and easily what is expected of them?”

Because ultimately, clarity may be just as valuable as uniformity.

It is at moments like these that I realise how valuable it is to share knowledge and experiences with one another. The more complex regulations become, the more important it is that we, as an industry, do not all have to reinvent the wheel individually. I am therefore grateful to have the PPP by my side, helping me navigate this increasingly dense forest of legislation.

And that is a good thing, because I would much rather focus on creating enjoyable and effective promotional campaigns for businesses than earn a doctorate in European legislation.

This edition features a guest column by Joke Bastinck, owner of Kimik and a member of the PPP Communications Committee. In this column, she discusses one of the many benefits of membership.