About: BEUC
Legislating with blinkers: the EU’s copyright reform is up for the vote
Europe’s creative sector is without doubt very important to our economy. Over the past decades, it has grown, mainly due to what is arguably Europe’s (and the world’s) most valuable shared economic asset: the internet. Ursula Pachl explains.
Industry questions WHO’s conviction about health impact of sugar taxes
The industry believes that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has no evidence to back its claim that sugar taxes are an effective way to improve public health. Instead, the industry says, taxes only lead consumers to cheaper brands with similar or even higher calorie content, which may undermine any positive health outcome.
Commission vows to spend €1.5 billion on artificial intelligence by 2020
The European Commission announced on Wednesday (25 April) that it will invest €1.5 billion into artificial intelligence research over the next three years, and was promptly hit with criticism for drafting its strategy years after the United States and China started their own massive funding plans.
Antimicrobial resistance set to become bigger killer than cancer by 2050
Antimicrobial resistance is a ticking time bomb. Ahead of the European Antibiotic Awareness Day on 18 November, the EU and public health stakeholders are aiming to raise awareness of this issue and make it a policy priority in the member states.
France opts for colour coded nutrition labelling
France's ministers for health, agriculture and the economy signed on Tuesday (31 October) a decree introducing a voluntary labelling scheme for food products to reduce obesity, causing upheaval in the food industry.
Consumer group warns against e-commerce overhaul
A draft bill to give ecommerce shoppers the same rights across the EU is likely to face a drastic makeover from the European Parliament and national governments—and consumer advocates are worried.
Google, Facebook and Twitter face fines as EU grows ‘impatient’ with lax consumer rules
Google, Facebook and Twitter could face fines if they do not change their user conditions to meet the European Commission's demands.
EU adopts first restrictions on cancer-causing acrylamide in food
Representatives of the EU’s 28 member states voted yesterday (19 July) in favour of a European Commission proposal to reduce the presence in food of acrylamide, a known carcinogenic substance present in fries, crisps, bread, biscuits, or coffee.
Mobile roaming fees disappear, but MEPs want more EU rules
European mobile phone contracts are required to charge domestic rates for calls, SMS and data use when users travel in the EU starting today (15 June), capping off a ten-year fight to get rid of roaming fees.
EU fines Facebook €110 million over WhatsApp deal
European Union antitrust regulators fined Facebook €110 million on Thursday (18 May) for giving misleading information during a vetting of its deal to acquire messaging service WhatsApp in 2014.
New energy labels on household appliances could save hundreds on energy bills
An agreement on draft legislation of energy labels for household appliances was reached by the European Parliament and the Council of the Ministers on Tuesday.
Lawmakers warn EU pharma industry about drug pricing
Pressure is mounting on pharmaceutical companies to reconsider the way they do business by refocusing their efforts on meeting patient needs and health outcomes rather than their own profits.
Commission pushes vote on acrylamide safety into 2017
A vote on the European Commission’s draft regulation on acrylamide, a contaminant formed in foods when cooked at high temperatures, will take place next year, an EU spokesperson told EURACTIV.com.
EU drugs agency to unveil results on ‘early medicines’ project this week
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) will this week publish the much-awaited results of a pilot project on the early marketing authorisation of drugs, EURACTIV has learnt.
EU health ministers confront crisis in affordability of medicines
EU health ministers took reluctant steps last Friday (17 June) to address the rising price of medicines.
New medical devices rules should avoid ‘unnecessary’ red tape, industry says
The implementation of new rules on medical devices should avoid extra burdens and unnecessary bureaucracy, health industry officials have told EURACTIV.com.
Member states swipe left: Tinder has (court) date in EU countries
Consumer organisations in three EU countries lodged complaints against US-based dating app Tinder today (3 March) for its restrictive user contracts.
Commission changes TTIP position on cosmetics
The European Commission has made changes to the latest version of its position on cosmetics in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations with the United States.
Consumers in the dark over alcoholic drinks content
SPECIAL REPORT / Consumer knowledge about the nutritional value and ingredients contained in alcoholic beverages is limited, according to a new survey published last week.
Consumer choice narrowing online
SPECIAL REPORT / Long seen in Europe as a space for free choices, the Internet may turn into a more controlled environment where consumer decisions are increasingly conditioned in opaque ways, from the very moment they access the web, to the way they surf it.
Consumers join battle against Google in search case
The EU’s main consumer organisation joined the antitrust case against Google on Monday (March 31), accusing the tech giant of misleading users with biased search results.
One year after ‘horsegate’ nothing has changed, consumer group says
Although the European Commission took several initiatives in the wake of the horsemeat scandal, which broke out one year ago, the EU consumer organisation (BEUC) says a similar food scandal could easily shake Europe again.Proposed sales law is too confusing for consumers
Attempts to introduce a Common European Sales Law are designed to boost cross-border trade. But Ursula Pachl, the deputy director-general of the European consumer group BEUC, argues that there is no evidence that the new law would achieve this and urges the Parliament – which will consider the proposal this autumn – to reject it.