On 2 July, the European Commission (EC) adopted a "consumer protection package" with a view to enhancing the enforcement of consumer protection rules at European Union level. The package brings together a Communication, which sets out the crucial role of effective enforcement of consumer protection rules for the overall success of consumer policy and the role of the Commission in enforcement, as well as a Report on the first two years of the application of Regulation no 2006/2004 on cooperation between national authorities responsible for the enforcement of consumer protection laws.
In this Communication, the EC presents current enforcement measures in the EU, identifies the challenges and proposes a set of priority actions to improve enforcement in this field at European level. In terms of challenges, the Communication raises the increasing complexity of products, services and sales channels, the increasing cross-border dimension of trade, lack of harmonization of laws on consumer protection, the need for transparent and effective investigations and the lack of proportionate sanctions which deter offenders.
In terms of proposed courses of action, the EC identifies: the development of more effective cross-border cooperation mechanisms for enforcement; increasing the exchange of good practice (through guidelines, handbooks and databases); increasing the transparency and visibility of market supervision and enforcement, facilitating the publication of results; the development of market supervision techniques based on facts (evidence-based approach), for example the definition of a harmonized methodology for the classification of consumer complaints, for voluntary adoption by Member States; the strengthening of international cooperation through the establishment of agreements with authorities of third countries; and the promotion of appropriate alternative mechanisms for dispute resolution and collective action mechanisms.
The report shows that the network of national enforcement authorities, created in December 2006, is fulfilling its purpose, but indicates, however, that more work is needed to enhance the efficiency of the network and further develop the administrative systems underpinning cooperation between national judicial authorities.
Further information:
- Communication from the Commission on the enforcement of the consumer acquis http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/docs/consumer_enforcement_package_COM_en.pdf
- Report on the application of Regulation (EC) No. 2006/2004 of 27 October 2004 http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/docs/consumer_enforcement_package_REPORT_en.pdf
