CL industry backs online sales ruling

A European ruling which upheld the legality of sales of contact lenses over the internet in Hungary has been given a qualified welcome by the European federation of national associations and international manufacturers of contact lenses and contact lens care products, Euromcontact.

On December 2 the European Court of Justice ruled that Hungary's prohibition on selling contact lenses via the internet was not proportionate to the objective of protecting public health and contrary to rules relating to the free movement of goods.

The Hungarian firm Ker-Optika, which sells contact lenses via its website, had challenged the Hungarian health authority's decision to prohibit it from selling contact lenses online. Hungarian legislation had previously required the contact lens sellers to operate from specialist shops with a minimum area of 18 square metres and employ the services of an optometrist or an ophthalmologist qualified in the field of contact lenses.