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Consumer Policy in the EU

Latest news on the consumer policies of the European Union.

Fish-friendly laundry and dishwasher detergents - guide 15 December 2011, 00:01 CET
Washing powders and dishwasher detergents will need to be almost phosphate-free in future, following a vote in the European Parliament on Wednesday. The measures aim to protect aquatic life in waterways and seas around the EU.

Solving consumer disputes out-of-court - guide 01 December 2011, 17:46 CET
Currently, out-of-court dispute resolution in the EU is possible only for some business sectors or in some areas. To tackle this issue, the European Commission has unveiled a package of legislative proposals to ensure that all EU consumers can solve their problems without going to court, regardless of the kind of product or service that the contractual dispute is about and regardless of where they bought it in the European single market (that is, at home or abroad). For consumers shopping online from another EU country, the Commission wants to create an EU-wide single online platform, which will allow to solve contractual disputes entirely online within 30 days.

Plant health pests and EU funding programmes to deal with them - guide 16 November 2011, 17:07 CET
The European Union today earmarked 19 million euros to co-finance programmes in seven Member States aiming to combat organisms harmful to plants and to prevent them from spreading further in the Union and thus from having sever consequences on the internal market. During a meeting of the Standing Committee on Plant Health (SCPH), the Member States endorsed two Commission proposals providing the co-financing (EUR 15 and EUR 4 million respectively) of actions already undertaken in the past or planned to be executed next year.

EU move to reduce cigarette ignited fires - guide 14 November 2011, 23:54 CET
Cigarettes left unattended are one of the leading causes of fatal fires in Europe. Evidence shows that the number of fatalities can be reduced by over 40% with the introduction of 'Reduced Ignition Propensity' (RIP) cigarettes. This means cigarettes which self extinguish when left unattended and which are thus less likely to cause fire. This safety measure is already in place in some countries globally (US, Canada, Australia), and, in the EU, in Finland since April 2010. As from 17th November 2011, once the new safety standards are published in the EU Official Journal all cigarettes sold in Europe will have to comply with these measures. It will be the role of the national authorities to enforce this new fire safety measure.

Database on Food Additives 14 November 2011, 14:08 CET
This database can serve as a tool to inform about the food additives approved for use in food in the EU and their conditions of use. It is based on the Union list of food. This list is in Annex II of Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008. The Union list was established after the transfer of the food additives permitted for use in foods under Directives 94/35/EC, 94/36/EC and 95/2/EC, in a new food categorisation system. Some additives and uses which are now longer needed are not entered in Annex II.

Food Additives - guide 14 November 2011, 14:15 CET
The use of additives in food will soon become safer and more transparent thanks to two pieces of legislation adopted by the European Commission.

Health and Consumer Programmes 2014-2020 - guide 09 November 2011, 18:28 CET
The European Commission has adopted proposals for the new Health for Growth and Consumer Programmes. The two programmes aim to foster a Europe of healthy, active, informed and empowered citizens, who can contribute to economic growth. These new programmes will run from 2014-2020 with a budget of EUR 446 million for the Health for Growth Programme and EUR 197 million for the Consumer Programme. Focus will be on fewer concrete actions that offer clear EU added-value.

New EU rules on consumer rights in force - guide 11 October 2011, 22:21 CET
The new EU Consumer Rights Directive was formally adopted by Member States in the EU's Council of Ministers on 10 October 2011. The new legislation will strengthen consumers' rights in all 27 EU countries, particularly when shopping online. After publication in the EU's Official Journal, governments will have two years to implement the rules at national level. The approval follows an overwhelming vote to back the rules by the European Parliament on 23 June 2011. The European Commission put forward the proposal in October 2008. The final agreement between Parliament and Council on the Consumer Rights Directive was brokered by EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding in June this year.

Sweeps website 29 September 2011, 16:37 CET
An "EU sweep" is an action co-ordinated by the European Commission, and carried out simultaneously by the national consumer enforcement authorities in the Member States, Norway and Iceland. In a given week each year, consumer authorities check hundreds of sites in a particular sector in order to see where consumer rights are being compromised or denied. When they find that a website does not comply with EU consumer law, they then contact the operator and ask for corrective action. Those who fail to correct illegal practices can face fines or be ordered to close their websites.

EU Sweep investigation - buying tickets online - guide 29 September 2011, 16:42 CET
Buying tickets for music and sporting events on the internet is now much less likely to end in tears, following a crackdown on problematic websites which sold tickets to non-existent events or which failed to explain whether the buyer would get a refund or not, if the event was cancelled. 88% of the websites selling tickets for cultural and sporting events, checked for breach of EU consumer rules, now comply with EU law (compared with only 40% in 2010), and further improvements can be expected as cases are brought to the courts. The EU co-ordinated "Sweep" investigation was launched in September 2010 by national authorities in all Member States, Norway and Iceland. The problems identified included: incomplete or misleading information about the price of tickets; unfair terms and conditions; incomplete or misleading information about the trader. Sites have been corrected, usually voluntarily, but in some cases penalties were imposed.

Progress in the Development of Alternative Methods to Animal Testing for Cosmetics - Commission report 14 September 2011, 20:03 CET
The European Commission presented on 13 September its yearly report on Alternative Methods to Animal Tests in the Field of Cosmetics to the European Parliament and Council.

New EU rules to strengthen toy safety 20 July 2011, 22:29 CET
There will be no more places for defective and dangerous toys in the EU market. As from today, new EU rules for toys are in force to fulfil the highest safety requirements worldwide. With the entry into force, the new Toys Directive, all actors involved in the production, selling and control of toys on the EU market will get more responsibilities to better protect children.

Food labels: clearer information for consumers - guide 06 July 2011, 23:02 CET
Food shoppers will be able to make better informed, healthier choices as the result of new EU food labelling rules approved by MEPs on 6 July. Labels will have to spell out a food's energy content as well as fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, sugar, protein and salt levels, in a way that makes them easy for consumers to read.

More consumer friendly labelling for European foods - guide 22 June 2011, 20:45 CET
On 22 June 2011, EU Member States confirmed the compromise that was hammered out by the Hungarian Presidency with the European Parliament (EP), on the way food information will be indicated to consumers in the future. Agreements like on mandatory nutrition information and legibility will enable consumers to make healthier dietary choices.

Consumer rights: what the new EU rules will mean 22 June 2011, 20:25 CET
An EU-wide right for consumers to change their minds about a purchase made on line within two weeks after having received the good, new requirements that compel on-line traders to provide the consumer with exact information on the total price, the goods ordered and the contact details of the trader, are among the benefits of the new Consumer Rights Directive. The new rules aim to strengthen protection for online buyers so as to boost consumer confidence and cross-border on-line trade - European Parliament website

Reducing plastic bag use - consultation 18 May 2011, 22:40 CET
The European Commission is asking the public how best to reduce the use of plastic carrier bags. It will ask if charging and taxation would be effective, or if other options such as an EU-level ban on plastic carrier bags would be better. Opinions will also be sought on increasing the visibility of biodegradable packaging products, and boosting the biodegradability requirements for packaging. The web-based consultation runs until August 2011.

2010 RAPEX Report - guide 12 May 2011, 22:58 CET
Whether a baby-stroller or a new pair of shoes, we all like to be sure that the products we buy in the EU are safe. The good news is that fewer dangerous products are reaching the EU market since such products are now identified and removed more readily. Thanks to the increasing effectiveness of the EU's rapid alert system for non-food dangerous products (RAPEX), a record 2,244 unsafe products were banned, withdrawn from the market or recalled from consumers in 2010 (up 13% compared with 2009), according to the 2010 annual RAPEX report published today. Member States have upped their game and European businesses are also taking their responsibilities in the consumer product safety area more seriously, with a marked increase (200%) in the use of the dedicated rapid alert system for business ('GPSD Business Application'). Safety at source has become a key focus – with attention now moving right back to the factory floor (design and manufacturing), and work with international partners is growing, in particular with China.

Feasibility study carried out by the Expert Group on European contract law 05 May 2011, 12:16 CET
An expert group established by the European Commission has delivered a feasibility study on a future initiative on European contract law. In April 2010, the Commission convened the group, made up of legal practitioners, former judges and academics from across the European Union, to explore ways to improve contract law in the EU. The group met monthly and regularly discussed its work with representatives of businesses – including small- and medium-sized companies (SMEs) – consumer organisations and legal professionals. Observers from the European Parliament and the Council also participated. The study covers the most relevant practical issues in a contractual relationship, such as legal rights for faulty goods and rules on which contract terms may be unfair. Following today’s publication, interested parties can send their feedback on the individual articles drafted by the expert group until 1 July 2011. The Commission will take into account this input, as well as the results of a public consultation concluded in January 2011. As a next step, the Commission will have to determine if and to what extent the expert group’s text can serve as a starting point for a political follow-up initiative on European contract law.

Traditional herbal medicines: more safety for products put on EU market 29 April 2011, 23:58 CET
From 30 April 2011, EU citizens can be reassured that the traditional herbal medicines they buy in the EU are safe and effective. The expiry of the 7 year transition period set out in the 2004 Herbal Directive (2004/24/EC) means that only medicinal products which have been registered or authorised can remain on the EU market after 1 May 2011. The Herbal Directive introduces a simpler registration procedure than for other medicinal products, in respect of the long history of use of traditional herbal medicinal products. At the same time, the Directive provides the necessary guarantees of their quality, safety and efficacy.

Consumers 15 January 2013, 21:46 CET
Grants In the field of consumer policy. Grants are direct financial contributions, by way of donation, from the budget in order to finance either an action intended of achieve an objective forming part of a European Union policy, either the functioning of a body which has an objective forming part of a European Union policy.

Consumer Empowerment Survey - Analysis of the results 11 April 2011, 23:27 CET
According to a Eurobarometer study published on the occasion of the 2011 European Consumer Summit, less than 50% of EU consumers surveyed felt confident, knowledgeable and protected as consumers. Empowered consumers find it easy to identify the best offer, know their rights and seek redress when things go wrong. Vulnerable consumers find it hard to understand the choices they face, don't know their rights, suffer more problems and are unwilling to act when things go wrong. Detriment reported by consumers is estimated at around 0.4% of EU GDP with more than one fifth of EU consumers reporting a problem in the previous 12 months. Although most consumers do complain to retailers, most of those who do not get a satisfactory response take no further action. Significant numbers of consumers have problems making everyday calculations, understanding key information and in recognizing illegal sales practices or knowing their rights. A majority of respondents did not know their right to return, have repaired or replaced a faulty product.

EU public consultation on the market surveillance framework 31 March 2011, 22:59 CET
The aim of the consultation is to identify market surveillance policies, procedures and activities that have demonstrated to be efficient and effective and to gather comments on how they might be improved in order to meet future challenges.

Online gambling in Europe - guide 24 March 2011, 14:46 CET
On-line gambling is a fast developing business in Europe, with almost 15,000 websites already identified and total annual revenues exceeding EUR 6 billion in 2008 and expected to double in size by 2013. National legal frameworks vary enormously across the EU, with different rules applying to licensing, related on-line services, payments, public interest objectives, and the fight against fraud. In order to ensure legal certainty and effective protection of EU citizens in this fast-growing cross-border service activity, it is important to evaluate how possibly differing models can co-exist within the Internal Market. The primary aim of the Green Paper consultation, launched today, is therefore to obtain a facts-based picture of the existing situation in the EU on-line gambling market and of the different national regulatory models. The Commission seeks the views of stakeholders and wishes to collect detailed information and data on key policy issues such as organisation of on-line gambling services and enforcement of applicable laws; consumer protection and other relevant public policy challenges as well as commercial communications and payment services. Contributions to the consultation, which can be submitted until 31 July 2011, will determine the need for and form of any EU follow-up action in this field. Expert workshops on specific themes will be organised to complement this consultation.

Europeans use mobile phones more when travelling abroad, but still worry about costs: EU survey 15 February 2011, 00:06 CET
Almost three quarters of Europeans are worried about the cost of using their mobile phone when travelling in the EU a survey released by the European Commission shows. 72% of travellers still limit their roaming calls because of high charges even if a majority is aware that prices have fallen since 2006. Only 19% of people who use internet-related services on their mobile phones when abroad think the costs of data-roaming for (Internet surfing or checking e-mails) are fair. The results of this survey, plus the public consultation on the future of the Roaming Regulation, which closed on 11th February, will feed into the Commission's review of current EU roaming rules, due by June 2011. The performance target set by the Digital Agenda for Europe is that the differences between roaming and national tariffs should approach zero by 2015.

EU proposal for passenger data to fight serious crime and terrorism - guide 02 February 2011, 18:50 CET
The European Commission has presented a proposal for an EU Passenger Name Record (PNR) Directive to fight serious crime and terrorism. The proposal obliges air carriers to provide EU Member States with data on passengers entering or departing from the EU, whilst guaranteeing a high level of protection of privacy and personal data.