Recent Trend within the EU towards the Creation of a Single Consumer Protection Regime through Techniques such as 'Full Harmonization'

Recent Trend within the EU towards the Creation of a Single Consumer Protection Regime through Techniques such as 'Full Harmonization'

Introduction

Consumer protection in the European Union serves to promote and protect the interests of common consumers while improving the system of information and civic education, which are the basic objectives of the European Union. These changes are targeted by the introduction of new techniques such as the development of e-shopping and new technologies like the integrated food system (GMOs, nanotechnology, etc). While achieving the internal market, the EU ensures the strengthening of consumer confidence.

Objectives

By harmonizing consumer protection rules and standards amongst all Member States, the EU ensures the quality of all goods and services. It offers consumers the ability to make transactions in any Member State and by any means. Similarly, the European Union has adopted rules on unfair terms in contracts for consumer credit.

Health and Food Safety

Three fundamental principles governing the hygiene of the food chain, followed by the application of rules of hygiene "farm to table" producer responsibility on food quality and traceability of all food and the ingredients used in their composition.

In May 2009, the Commission adopted a communication on the quality policy for agricultural products, subject to a favourable opinion of the Council and other institutions, should lead to further legislative proposals.

Controversial Maize MON180

The European Food Safety (EFSA) was made on 12 February 2009, a report arguing that GMOs are safe for health, thus opening the door to the sale of MON180 in the European market. The European Commission therefore requested to lift the safeguard clause, through Hungary, Austria, France and Germany refused. Ministers of Environment and Agriculture meeting in Council take turns, to decide on the legitimacy of this clause. The MON180 is still sold today in those countries.

The European Commission has developed an effective tool RAPEX: the EU rapid alert system. The Commission publishes a list of dangerous products reported by the national authorities. It has also established since 2008, a dashboard annual consumer markets. This dashboard is the result of annual surveys conducted in the 27 Member States on consumer markets, to enable the Commission to identify areas of consumption, where there are malfunctions.

The Right to Information

In order for actions for consumer protection to be effective, the EU also invites the consumers to the development of Community policies in particular via the Consultative Group of consumer organizations, organizing events such as European Day consumer (March 15), or the new European Consumer Summit, the first edition in early April 2009 focused on the digital market.

These events are an opportunity for debate and exchanges between different European actors. Consumer representatives are also involved in the implementation of educational projects, to train personnel of consumer organizations to develop or media (web sites, for example). Since January 2008, a proposal for a regulation of the Commission on the Consumer Information on foodstuffs is currently ...