Interview: 'We'll name and shame unfair companies' [fr] [de]

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The greatest number of consumer complaints focus on the airline industry, said Kuneva, who took charge the portfolio in 2007. It has previously been held by Markos Kyprianou (EurActiv 26/10/06). 

"We need to use complaints to push for better policies. If people keep complaining about airline services, and they do, this means that we are still not there," Kuneva said. Commission investigations revealed that many airline booking websites blatantly breach EU consumer law (EurActiv 09/05/08). 

According to Kuneva, the Commission has put in place sound consumer protection legislation, but what matters now is for citizens to be aware of their rights, and for business to abide by the law. She added that as a Bulgarian national, she is very sensitive about how law is enforced. "If law is not implemented, it could create cynicism," she said. 

"My weapon is communication," Kuneva declared, outlining her ambition to make sure that citizens know the law and know that legislation will be respected throughout the EU. She also expressed her desire to push consumers to become "experts", which would be a "source of consumer power". 

Kuneva announced that the Commission will publish a second edition of the consumer market scoreboard in February, as a tool for comparing prices and studying consumer satisfaction, complaints, and opportunities to switch from one service supplier to another. The first such scoreboard was launched at the beginning of last year (EurActiv 01/02/08). 

She also called on citizens to use Internet sites, such as Facebook, to put pressure on business or suppliers. 

As for the gas crisis, which revealed that consumer prices are artificially increased by intermediary companies in some countries, Kuneva said she could only encourage investigation into cases that breach EU competition rules. 

To read the interview in full, please click here.

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