About: Monique Goyens

EU Commission aims to tackle greenwashing in new consumer agenda

Avoiding greenwashing and providing customers with more information about the sustainability of products is a key part of the Commission’s new consumer agenda, launched on Friday (13 November).

Plan for EU cybersecurity certification receives Parliament approval

A legal proposal to overhaul the EU’s cybersecurity rules passed a major hurdle on Tuesday (10 July) as the European Parliament’s Industry Committee (ITRE) approved a plan to create a voluntary system for certifying the security level of technology products.

Controversial copyright overhaul passes Parliament committee, still faces political fight

A sweeping, controversial copyright reform bill passed through the European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) on Wednesday (20 June), but the legislation could still be toppled during a make-or-break vote in the full chamber’s plenary session next month.

Tech industry and consumer watchdogs at odds over robot liability

Tech industry groups and consumer watchdogs are at odds over whether the European Commission should overhaul the bloc’s legislation on product liability to cover robots and artificial intelligence.

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.

EU clears path for collective law suits

Consumers will be able to sue companies in collective action lawsuits spanning multiple EU countries, under a new European Commission proposal.

MEPs want to lower prices for international phone calls

MEPs want to put a price cap on calls and text messages from one EU country to another, arguing those rates are outrageously high for many consumers.

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.

Digitalisation takes centre stage at Brussels energy forum

Policymakers and industry leaders on Tuesday (28 March) called for an increase in digitalisation in keeping with the EU's energy efficiency directives.

Parliament rejects motion to check CETA’s legality

The mainstream parties in the European Parliament have rejected by a large majority a motion initiated by 89 MEPs to submit the EU-Canada trade agreement – CETA – to the Court of Justice to check its compatibility with EU law.

What does an innovation agenda mean for consumers?

Innovation and consumer protection are not opposites. Indeed there is huge potential to use innovation to deliver safer products that benefit consumers, writes Monique Goyens.

Member states agree to let subscribers use Netflix when they travel in the EU

EU countries struck a deal on a draft bill that would allow residents to use digital subscriptions like Netflix when they travel to other member states.

MEPs want to restrict farmers’ use of antibiotics in healthy animals

The use of existing antimicrobial drugs on EU farms should be restricted particularly when these are used as preventive measures, lawmakers urged yesterday (17 February).

EU trade chief tells consumers not to worry about TTIP

EU consumers should not be worried about safety standards for food and health being jeopardised by negotiators in the free-trade talks between the EU and the US, insisted Cecilia Malmström.

Consumer organisations expose misleading meat labelling

Test samples by consumer organisations in seven EU countries show that meat-based food labels are often misleading to consumers.

Getting a telecoms deal: Harder than agreeing on Greece?

After almost 13 hours cooped up in talks, negotiators tasked with clinching some kind of a deal on the telecoms single market came to a breakthrough early this morning (30 June). At around two o'clock, frazzled MEPs tweeted that the marathon meeting had broken up with an agreement in hand.

Goyens: EU law on animal cloning ‘falls short of consumers expectations’

Food from cloned animals has ‘novel food’ status at EU level, and requires approval before being allowed onto the market. But the EU legislation needs to be more transparent by covering also food from the descendants of clones, with a traceability system for imports of cloned animals embryos and semen, says Monique Goyens.

NGOs launch watchdog to keep an eye on the Commission’s ‘Better Regulation’

Ahead of the expected announcement of the European Commission’s ‘Better Regulation’ reforms, more than 50 civil society organisations have joined forces to create a watchdog to protect the rights of citizens, workers and consumers.

Consumers deserve correct fuel consumption figures

Outdated EU testing requirements allow car makers to advertise fuel consumption figures that bear little relation to real life performance on the road. Not only are these false claims but the testing weaknesses are also bringing into doubt the performance of the automobile sector to cut its carbon footprint, writes Monique Goyens.

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.

WHO: Cut sugar intake to fight obesity and tooth decay

Adults and children must cut the amount of sugar they consume every day in fizzy drinks and sweet foods to lower their risk of obesity and tooth decay, the World Health Organisation has said.

Why antibiotic resistance must be tackled at the farm, too

25,000 Europeans die each year from antibiotic resistance. Many more suffer from its consequences. On European Antibiotic Awareness Day, the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) is calling on consumers to go easy on antibiotics when struck by sickness, writes Monique Goyens.

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.