Tag: consumer policy

Consumers and businesses alike should reap the benefits of new consumer rights legislation in Europe, with years of negotiations set to conclude with the approval by the European Parliament on Thursday (23 June) of the EU's Consumer Rights Directive.  

The EU's new Consumer Rights Directive is designed to drag consumer rights legislation into the 21^st Century by creating legal certainty for businesses and better protecting online shoppers in particular. But EU policymakers are currently at loggerheads over the scope of the draft law. 

Consumer groups have warned of missed opportunities in the EU's draft Consumer Rights Directive ahead of a crucial vote on the legislation in the European Parliament next week (1 February), which sees MEPs split over its direction.  

Brussels lacks a "clear vision or strategy" on consumer rights legislation, Ursula Pachl, deputy director-general of European consumer group BEUC, told EurActiv in an interview. 

Ministers meeting at an EU Competitiveness Council last week backed compromise proposals tabled by the Belgian EU Presidency aimed at drawing up "common consumer rights" across the European Union and bringing together existing EU legislation into a single Consumer Rights Directive.

Traditionally, EU laws on advertising applied to print and broadcast media, but as adverts increasingly migrate to an unregulated online world, lawmakers and consumer groups are exploring ways to ensure that digital marketing does not infringe consumer rights.

The flow of digital content is hampered by national borders and their laws, an EU report published last week shows, leading the European Commission to argue that better rules on consumer access and copyright are needed.

Getting citizens to vote in the European elections should not be a gruelling task, according to Monique Goyens, director-general of BEUC, the EU consumer organisation. In an interview with EurActiv, she explained how a proposed "consumer pact" could re-connect voters to Europe.

Consumer groups have asked the Commission to "revise existing safety standards" to protect users of personal music players (PMPs), such as Apple's iPod, from the risk of hearing damage.

The European Commission will wrap up its investigations of airline companies in May by ‘naming and shaming’ those who profess unfair commercial practices, Consumer Affairs Commissioner Meglena Kuneva told EurActiv in an exclusive interview.

Business representatives broadly supported a directive on consumer rights unveiled by Consumer Affairs Commissioner Meglena Kuneva on Wednesday (8 September), hailing the proposals as 'good news'. But consumer groups are arguing that the text should go further.

The European Parliament yesterday backed Commission plans to provide EU citizens with a collective redress mechanism for the settlement of cross-border consumer complaints in what appears to be a watered-down version of US-style class action lawsuits.

EU product safety standards are improving, according to Consumer Protection Commissioner Meglena Kuneva, who presented the results of a Commission survey yesterday (17 April). But consumer organisations say much more can be done to improve the effectiveness of EU surveillance systems.

Apple's commercial practice of making its popular iPhone available exclusively to selected mobile operators could be considered unfair and therefore not binding on consumers, said EU Consumer Commissioner Meglena Kuneva.

A new guidebook targeted at women has been launched to promote consumers' rights under the EU's chemicals regulation REACH.

The European Parliament has voted in favour of allowing European consumers to lodge collective court cases against companies, as a means of boosting confidence in cross-border shopping.

An ambitious EU consumer strategy aims by 2013 to ensure that all consumers have an equally high level of confidence in products, technologies and selling methods in retail outlets across the Union.

The Bulgarian consumer protection commissioner-designate Meglena Kuneva wants to improve communication with consumers to boost their confidence in business and contribute towards reaching the Lisbon goals.

Rasmus Kjeldahl has been talking to EurActiv about food safety in the enlarged EU and the European Food Safety Agency, consumer policy in the Barroso Commission, the legislation on nutritional and health claims, the importance of patient/consumer information and Corporate Social Responsiblity.

The Commission adopted a communication and a proposal for regulation on sales promotions as part of its drive to modernise consumer policy. The regulation intends to abolish national restrictions on a series of sales promotion practices and aims to harmonise legislation in the EU on the protection of consumers, minors and public health.