Consumer Policy in the EU

Latest news on the consumer policies of the European Union.

Payment Services Directive and Interchange fees Regulation — 24 July 2013, 19:24 CET

In order to adapt EU payments market to the opportunities of the single market and to support the growth of the EU economy, the European Commission adopted a package including: A new payment Services Directive ("PSD2"); and a proposal for regulation on interchange fees for card-based payment transactions.

Toy Safety in the EU — 03 March 2022, 22:25 CET

Toys contribute to child development and play is an essential part of growing up. However, toys have to be safe for children to play with. Ensuring that toys marketed in the EU do not put children at risk is a priority. EU legislation aims to ensure that toys meet safety requirements that are amongst the strictest in the world, especially in relation to the use of chemicals in toys.

New EU Rules to combat misleading information and putting safer cosmetics on EU shelves — 11 July 2013, 23:21 CET

From 11 July 2013, cosmetics on shop shelves, both manufactured in the EU and imported from third countries, should be fully compliant with the Cosmetics Regulation ensuring strengthened safety standards and providing better information for the consumers.

New rules for baby food, special diet food and low-calorie food — 11 June 2013, 19:26 CET

The European Parliament on 11 May gave its green light on a set of clearer rules protecting specific groups of consumers such as infants and young children. The aim is to better protect consumers on the content and marketing of these “special” food products, and to provide a better environment for businesses, as well as better application of rules.

EC Recommendation on collective redress — 11 June 2013, 17:45 CET

The European Commission has set out a series of common, non-binding principles for collective redress mechanisms in the EU Member States so that citizens and companies can enforce the rights granted to them under EU law where these have been infringed. The Recommendation aims to ensure a coherent horizontal approach to collective redress in the European Union without harmonising Member States' systems. National redress mechanisms should be available in different areas where EU law grants rights to citizens and companies, notably in consumer protection, competition, environment protection and financial services. By recommending to Member States to put in place national collective redress mechanisms the Commission wants to improve access to justice, while ensuring appropriate procedural guarantees to avoid abusive litigation. The Recommendation complements the proposal for a Directive on antitrust damages which will help the victims of violations of antitrust rules to obtain compensation through the legal actions available in Member States (see IP/13/525, MEMO/13/531). While the Recommendation calls on Member States to put in place collective redress mechanisms, the Directive leaves it to Member States whether or not to introduce collective redress actions in the context of private enforcement of competition law.

2012 Report on Europe’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed — 10 June 2013, 18:26 CET

An annual report published today on Europe’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) revealed that in 2012 almost 50% of notifications related to food and feed rejections at EU borders due to the risk they posed to food safety. Launched more than 30 years ago, RASFF is an IT tool that facilitates the cross-border flow of information between national food safety authorities and plays a key role in ensuring a high level of food safety for Europe's citizens.

Consumer safety: RAPEX in 2012 — 16 May 2013, 15:22 CET

In 2012, a total of 2,278 measures against dangerous non-food products, were taken by EU Member States and reported in the EU Rapid Information system (RAPEX). This indicates a 26% rise in alerts when compared to 2011 figures, an increase that could be attributed to the improved enforcement work carried out by the authorities in EU countries. RAPEX is the EU rapid alert system between Member States and the Commission on non-food products. Its role is to disseminate information quickly on potentially dangerous consumer products. This allows for earlier identification and earlier removal from EU markets of products that could pose a risk to consumers, such as children's clothing, textiles and electrical appliances which do not meet safety standards.

Proposal for a Directive on Payment Accounts — 08 May 2013, 18:17 CET

The European Commission publishes today a proposal for a Directive on the transparency and comparability of payment account fees, payment account switching and access to a basic payment account. Bank accounts are now an essential part of everyday life, allowing us to make and receive payments, shop online, and pay utility bills (telephone, gas, electricity). European citizens are consequently not able to fully participate in society without a basic bank account.

Consumer reports by European Consumer Centres — 19 March 2013, 15:57 CET

The European Consumer Centres work together to analyse consumer issues in Europe, based on the complaints they handle in the national centres. Every year, they collaborate to analyse the state of play for the most popular or problematic consumer topics and publish their findings in their consumer reports. The aim is to offer consumers practical information – a buyers’ guide to help them compare products and services in Europe and avoid common problems.

European Small Claims forms — 19 March 2013, 15:54 CET

Council Regulation 861/2007 of 11 July 2007 establishing a European Small Claims Procedure seeks to improve and simplify procedures in civil and commercial matters where the value of a claim does not exceed EUR 2,000. The Regulation applies between all Member States of the European Union with the exception of Denmark. The Small claims procedure operates on the basis of standard forms. It is a written procedure unless an oral hearing is considered necessary by the court. The Regulation also establishes time limits for the parties and for the court in order to speed up litigation. The Regulation provides for four standard forms. You can complete these forms online by clicking one of the links.

Marketing scams: action against unfair commercial practices — 14 March 2013, 22:52 CET

The European Commission has outlined a series of actions to tackle aggressive commercial practices across the EU such as fake 'free' offers, 'bait and switch' advertising for products which cannot be supplied, and exhortation of children. Five years after it entered into force, the Commission reviewed the application of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive and announced plans to step up enforcement of the rules to increase citizens' trust when shopping in Europe's internal market.

Alternative Dispute Resolution and Online Dispute Resolution — 12 March 2013, 16:55 CET

EU shoppers will have easier access to rapid, cheap and impartial mediation in disputes with traders over goods or services thanks to two new laws voted in by the European Parliament on 12 March. They aim to help shoppers to avoid long and costly court cases, especially over on-line or cross-border purchases. The new rules on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and Online Dispute Resolution (ODR), aim to step up the use of ADR schemes in the EU by giving shoppers a fast, cheap and informal way to settle disputes with traders as an alternative to often lengthy court proceedings.

Product Safety and Market Surveillance Package 2013 — 13 February 2013, 19:16 CET

The European Commission has proposed new rules to improve the safety of consumer products circulating in the Single Market and to step-up market surveillance concerning all non-food products, including those imported from 3rd countries. It says this will contribute both to strengthening consumer protection and to creating a level playing field for businesses. Unsafe products should not reach consumers or other users and their improved identification and traceability will be a key improvement that will help to take them quickly out of the market. Once adopted by the European Parliament and by the Council the new rules will be enforced by the national market surveillance authorities in the Member States which will benefit from strengthened cooperation and enhanced tools to carry out controls. The two legislative proposals are complemented by a multi-annual plan for market surveillance setting out 20 concrete actions to be undertaken from now to 2015 to improve market surveillance under the current regulatory framework and until the new rules come into effect.

Towards a new EU law on Tobacco Products — 19 December 2012, 17:34 CET

The European Commission on 18 December adopted a landmark proposal to revise the EU Tobacco Products Directive. The proposal is a substantial revision of the current EU law and proposes new and strengthened rules on tobacco products.

Online gambling in the Internal Market — 23 October 2012, 17:38 CET

The European Commission today unveiled an action plan, with a series of initiatives over the next two years aimed at clarifying the regulation of online gambling and encouraging cooperation between EU Member States. Online gambling is one of the fastest growing service activities in the EU, with annual growth rates of almost 15% and an estimated EUR 13 billion in annual revenues in 2015.

EU rules on food additives, enzymes and flavourings — 06 October 2023, 18:45 CET

Additives are substances used for a variety of reasons - such as preservation, colouring, sweetening, etc.- during the preparation of food. The European Union legislation defines them as "any substance not normally consumed as a food in itself and not normally used as a characteristic ingredient of food, whether or not it has nutritive value". Added to food for technological purposes in its manufacture, processing, preparation, treatment, packaging, transport or storage, food additives become a component of the food.

EU adopts list of approved flavouring substances — 02 October 2012, 14:12 CET

Flavouring substances in food will become even safer and more transparent thanks to two pieces of legislation adopted today by the European Commission. Only those flavouring substances featuring on the approved lists will be permitted for use by the food industry. Used to alter the taste and/or odour of food, flavourings substances have a long history of safe use in a wide variety of foods, such as soft drinks, confectionery, cereals, cakes and yoghurts, and have now been evaluated at EU level. These two new pieces of legislation will clarify and harmonise the use of flavouring substances within the single market: The first Regulation1 provides for a new EU wide list of flavouring substances which can be used in food and will apply from 22 April 2013, giving time for the EU food industry to adapt to the new rules. All flavouring substances not in the list will be prohibited after a phasing out period of 18 months. The second Regulation2 concerns transitional measures for other flavourings such as flavourings made from non-food sources and will apply from 22 October 2012. The new list includes over 2,100 authorised flavouring substances. A further 400 will remain on the market until EFSA concludes its evaluation. These have been used for a long time and have already been assessed as safe by other scientific bodies.

CE Marking — 01 August 2012, 18:52 CET

What do your cell phone, your TV and your kid’s teddy bear have in common? If you have purchased these items within the European Economic Area ("EEA", consisting of the 27 EU Member States, and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), you will find two letters on all of these products: CE. Product manufacturers are familiar with this marking, as in many cases they have to affix it to their products. As a consumer, you may know this marking, as you see it on many products you purchase every day. The CE marking is required for many products. It states that the product is assessed before being placed on the market and meets EU safety, health and environmental protection requirements. On this website the European Commission provides economic operators and consumers with information on how the process of affixing the CE marking on a product works. As a manufacturer, this website will lead you through the process of affixing the CE marking to your specific product, by clearly illustrating the key steps to undertake from the beginning to the trading of the product. If you are a distributor or importer you will have to know the requirements that the products you are importing or distributing must meet to be traded freely within the EEA.

Consumer protection in financial services - Undertakings for collective investment in transferable securities (UCITS) – improved requirements for depositaries and fund managers — 05 July 2012, 12:30 CET

The European Commission has presented a legislative package that raises standards in financial services and removes loopholes for the benefit of consumers. Specifically, the package proposes new, consumer-friendly standards for information about investments, raises standards for advice, and tightens certain rules on investment funds to ensure their safety. The original UCITS Directive created the internal market for investment funds in Europe. The current EU legislation for investment funds (the UCITS Directive) has been the basis for an integrated market facilitating the cross-border offer of collective investment funds. Managing almost €6 trillion in assets2, UCITS have proved successful and are widely used by European retail investors. UCITS are also regularly sold to investors outside the EU where they are valued due to their high level of investor protection. The Commission's proposed amendments to the current UCITS rules are based on the experience from the financial crisis, so as to continue to ensure the safety of investors and the integrity of the market. In particular, the proposal will ensure that the UCITS brand remains trustworthy by ensuring that the depositary's (the asset-keeping entity) duties and liability are clear and uniform across the EU3. Today's proposal addresses three areas: a precise definition of the tasks and liabilities of all depositaries acting on behalf of a UCITS fund; clear rules on the remuneration of UCITS managers: the way they are remunerated should not encourage excessive risk-taking. Remuneration policy will be better linked with the long-term interest of investors and the achievement of the investment objectives of the UCITS; and a common approach to how core breaches of the UCITS legal framework are sanctioned, introducing common standards on the levels of administrative fines so as to ensure they always exceed potential benefits derived from the violation of provisions.

Consumer protection in financial services - Insurance Mediation Directive (IMD) Revision — 05 July 2012, 12:27 CET

The European Commission has presented a legislative package that raises standards in financial services and removes loopholes for the benefit of consumers. Specifically, the package proposes new, consumer-friendly standards for information about investments, raises standards for advice, and tightens certain rules on investment funds to ensure their safety. The Commission is proposing a revision of the IMD, which currently regulates selling practices for all insurance products, from general insurance products such as motor and household insurance to those containing investment elements. Consumers are often not aware of the risks associated with the purchase of insurance cover. Whilst accurate professional advice is crucial for insurance sales, recent surveys1 show that more than 70% of insurance products are sold without appropriate advice. The current EU legislation does not deal in detail with the sale of insurance products, rules differ across Member States, and apply solely to intermediaries. The goal of the Commission's proposal is to upgrade consumer protection in the insurance sector by creating common standards across insurance sales and ensuring proper advice. It will do so by improving transparency and establishing a level playing field for insurance sales by intermediaries and sales by insurance undertakings. To achieve this, the following changes are proposed: The same level of consumer protection will apply, regardless of the channel through which consumers purchase an insurance product. Whether a consumer purchases a product directly from an insurance undertaking or indirectly from an intermediary (e.g. an agent or a broker), the consumer will receive the same level of protection. This does not exist today as the current IMD only covers sales provided by intermediaries. Consumers will be provided in advance with clear information about the professional status of the person selling the insurance product. Rules will be introduced to address more effectively the risks of conflict of interest, including disclosure of the remuneration received by sellers of insurance products. Insurance product sales will have to be accompanied by honest, professional advice. It will be easier for intermediaries to operate cross-border, thus promoting the emergence of a real internal market in insurance services.

Roaming - guide — 10 May 2012, 16:11 CET

The cost of using mobile phones, smartphones and tablets when travelling within the EU will fall sharply from 1 July this year, under a provisional agreement between MEPs and national governments voted in by Parliament on Thursday 10 May.

RAPEX in 2011 - guide — 08 May 2012, 14:03 CET

EU consumers want to be sure that the products - whether produced in the EU or imported from third-countries - are safe. The RAPEX 2011 Report shows that the EU's rapid alert system for non-food dangerous products ("RAPEX") is increasingly effective. Dangerous products are detected earlier and more effectively and are more promptly removed from the EU market. This process involves a chain of actions including upstream efforts to design out risks at source, better risk assessment and close co-operation between EU authorities, notably customs, to identify risks at the points of entry.

Medical devices — 31 January 2018, 15:43 CET

The diversity and innovativeness of the medical devices sector contributes significantly to enhancing the safety, quality and efficacy of healthcare in the EU. Covering a wide range of products, from simple bandages or sticking plasters to the most sophisticated X-ray equipment, the medical devices sector plays a crucial role in the diagnosis, prevention, monitoring and treatment of diseases. It also helps improve the quality of life of those with disabilities.

Data protection reform - guide — 25 January 2012, 15:13 CET

The European Commission has today proposed a comprehensive reform of the EU's 1995 data protection rules to strengthen online privacy rights and boost Europe's digital economy. Technological progress and globalisation have profoundly changed the way our data is collected, accessed and used. In addition, the 27 EU Member States have implemented the 1995 rules differently, resulting in divergences in enforcement. A single law will do away with the current fragmentation and costly administrative burdens, leading to savings for businesses of around €2.3 billion a year. The initiative will help reinforce consumer confidence in online services, providing a much needed boost to growth, jobs and innovation in Europe.

Animal Welfare Strategy 2012-2015 - guide — 19 January 2012, 17:32 CET

The European Commission has adopted a new four-year strategy (2012-2015) that aims to further improve the welfare of animals in the European Union.