Tag: consumers

SPECIAL REPORT / Forthcoming European Commission proposals aimed at reducing charges for payment cards have ignited a debate over whether consumers will benefit, based on previous experiences in Spain and France.

Changes shaking the European energy sector along with the requirements of sustainable development carry the need for a new-era energy community, mirroring  the ambitions the founders had in 1951 when they put together a coal and steel community, say Jacques Delors, Jerzy Buzek, Antonio Vitorino and Sami Andoura.

The origin country of products is a key criteria for EU consumers when buying food, says a new survey by the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC). The organisation recommends an update of EU food labelling legislation.

The European Parliament has shown overwhelming support for a Commission proposal to help businesses and consumers resolve cross-border legal disputes in a vote in Strasbourg yesterday (20 November).

Environmental groups frustrated by Commissioner John Dalli’s outward support of the genetically modified food industry are hoping his successor will take a tougher line.

The Apple iPhone 5, launched in shops today (21 September) in some European countries, has come under fire from consumer groups for its new connecter, which renders old devices obsolete.

Concerns about the sustainability of natural resources are rising, prompting policymakers and companies to encourage consumers to think green. Labelling is one way of doing this, but consumer groups advise against confronting shoppers with too much information and warn that green claims aren't always independently verified.

SPECIAL REPORT / The earth is running out of natural resources like land, water and minerals so quickly that if nothing is done, some predictions say that by 2030 humankind will need the equivalent of two planets to sustain our current lifestyle.

The regulatory framework in Europe is still a barrier for growth for e-commerce, says Marc Lolivier.

Europe’s consumer laws fail to protect the most vulnerable people, say member of the European Parliament who called for tougher measures to prevent senior citizens, children and the disabled from being victims of rip-offs or aggressive marketing.

The European Commission has asked the three member states to transpose the EU’s 2010 energy labelling directive into their legislation, brushing off concerns that the law itself might confuse consumers.

A dire debate within the European Commission risks delaying once more the publication of a comprehensive package on the review of data protection rules. After significantly working out the original text, the only remaining opponent seems to be EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström.

As pressure mounts to lead sustainable lifestyles, policymakers and companies alike are mulling new ways of encouraging shoppers to buy green. But consumer groups warned against confronting shoppers with too much information and warned that companies' green claims are often not independently verified. 

MEPs yesterday (19 April) backed the mandatory inclusion of information on country-of-origin and transfats on food labels, amid indications of a looming battle with member states and warnings that the new requirements will cripple small businesses.

Major food and drink multinationals are packing variable quality products to be shipped to different European countries under the same name, alleges a survey conducted by the Slovak Association of Consumers. EurActiv Slovakia reports. 

An updated version of the EU's Consumer Rights Directive was approved by the European Parliament's internal market committee yesterday (1 February). But socialist MEPs rejected the text and accused their centre-right colleagues of "selling off" the rights of European consumers, suggesting that further battles lie ahead before the legislation becomes law.  

The European Commission is considering introducing an EU-wide alternative dispute resolution (ADR) system to prevent consumers from having to go to court to settle disputes with companies. But consumer groups warned the move must not detract attention from plans to introduce judicial collective redress.  

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. 

Following a survey of 50 key markets for consumer goods and services, the European Commission has discovered that EU citizens have the least trust in meat and Internet service provision.

The European Union moved closer to new rules to protect its manufacturers from cheaper Asian imports on Wednesday (29 September) when a committee backed plans to label products from outside the bloc by their country of origin.

MEPs have rejected calls for a mandatory EU-wide 'traffic light' system for food labels similar to the one currently applied in the UK, much to the disappointment of European consumer and health groups.

The highest-ranked health official in the EU executive has hit out at lobby groups who stoke fear of nanotechnology. Robert Madelin, director-general at the European Commission's health and consumer affairs directorate, said it was "irresponsible" to use panic in order to attract attention.

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.

The European Commission said it will launch an investigation into the "malfunctioning" EU electricity market this year, following the publication of a survey yesterday (2 February) revealing that the energy, banking and transport sectors are "underperforming" for consumers.