EU seeks to boost online consumer confidence

BUSINESSEUROPE "strongly supports implementation of the better regulation principles in consumer legislation", but reminds that "any proposals for harmonised rules in this field should be backed by a proper impact assessment, and pursue simplification and clarification of existing rules". 

"New market developments, fragmentation of rules and lack of consistency between various directives have made a review inevitable," said MEP Malcolm Harbour (EPP-ED). He added: "While guaranteeing consumer rights, we must also ensure that businesses can benefit from a more predictable regulatory environment to allow them to trade more easily across the EU. Any new EU legislation must also be based on minimum harmonisation and the principle of mutual recognition, rather than a heavy-handed approach." 

The European Consumers' Organisation (BEUC) particularly welcomes the indication that principles of the acquis will be applied to the digital environment as "consumers have little or no independent rights of their own in the digital world". BEUC would also like the new regulations to be "sufficiently flexible to adapt to new problems that may arise in the market in the future" and doubts whether these results can be achieved with maximum harmonisation.