As part of Consumer Day, celebrated each year on 15 March, the European Union (EU) invited Member States, along with Norway and Iceland, to stage national competitions for the best consumer campaign of the year and to present the winners to the European Commission (EC) for entry into the grand European final.
The first prize was awarded to Finland for a dynamic web-game designed to teach young consumers about their rights and responsibilities, in particular when shopping online or over their mobile phones. The official award ceremony was held in Brussels on 10 March and was attended by the European Commissioner for Consumer Affairs, Meglena Kuneva.
Portugal presented the campaign ''Sinta confiança, compre com segurança'' (Be confident, buy securely) run by Centro de Informação, Mediação e Arbitragem de Consumo do Vale do Cávado (CIAB - Centre of Information, Mediation and Conumser Arbitration of Vale do Cávado), as part of its ''campanhas de adesões plenas'' which the CIAB has been running since 2004 and which has the objective of signing up the region's companies so that, in case of conflict with consumers, they will accept the intervention of this Arbitration Centre.
To mark Consumer Day various activities have been arranged at an EU level, including a conference organised by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in cooperation with the EC and the Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council and to be attended by Commissioner Meglena Kuneva. In Member states, the day will be marked by conferences, exhibitions and debates, among other events.
In Portugal, the winners of the competition ''Jovem consumidor responsável'' (Responsible young consumer) are to be announced. The competition, organised by Direcção Geral do Consumidor (DGC - Directorate General of the Consumer) in partnership with Instituto Português da Juventude (IPJ - Portuguese Youth Institute), has the aim of making young people more interested in the issues of consumer protection.
Further information:
- European Consumer Champion: Commissioner Kuneva celebrates Consumer Day with EU award ceremony http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/406&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN
- European Consumer Day events across the EU http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/ecd/day_activities_en.htm
- EC - Consumer Affairs http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/index_en.htm
Related information on ANACOM's website:
- +BV - Complaint books https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?categoryId=246722
