European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
Nikolina Šajn
Sustainable consumption: Helping consumers make eco-friendly choices [Policy Podcast]
Household consumption in the EU has major environmental impacts, which in a number of cases exceed planetary boundaries. Two thirds of consumers in the EU realise that their consumption habits have negative effects on the environment, and the solution that they mention most often is to change consumption habits and production patterns. Continue reading
Enforcement of consumer protection legislation [Policy Podcast]
European consumers enjoy a high level of rights, but when the rules protecting them are broken, they need to be enforced. The main goals of enforcement are to prevent and punish infringements, and to enable consumers harmed by infringements to get wrongs put right (consumer redress). Continue reading
Dual quality of products – State of play
In recent years, the concern that some branded products might be inferior in the Member States that have joined the European Union (EU) since 2004 has become ever more apparent. This concern has come to be known as the ‘dual quality of products’. Continue reading
Consumers and repair of products
Repairing broken or damaged products can save consumers money by helping them postpone making replacement purchases, while also bringing benefits to the environment through lower waste production and use of resources. Continue reading
Representative actions to protect the collective interests of consumers: A new deal for consumers [EU Legislation in Progress][Policy Podcast]
On 11 April 2018, the European Commission published a proposal for a new directive on representative actions for the protection of the collective interests of consumers. Currently, consumer organisations or independent public bodies can bring actions in the name of consumers in courts or before administrative authorities to stop infringements of consumer legislation. Continue reading
EU policies – Delivering for citizens: Protecting European consumers [Policy Podcast]
Consumer protection rules have been improving the rights of consumers in the European Union since the 1970s. Continue reading
General safety of vehicles and protection of vulnerable road users [EU Legislation in Progress][Policy Podcast]
As part of the third ‘Europe on the move’ package of measures, on 27 May 2018, the European Commission presented a proposal for a regulation on type-approval requirements for motor vehicles and their trailers, as regards their general safety and the protection of vehicle occupants and vulnerable road users. Continue reading
Modernisation of EU consumer protection rules: A new deal for consumers [EU Legislation in Progress][Policy podcast]
On 11 April 2018, the European Commission published a proposal for a directive on better enforcement and modernisation of EU consumer protection, as part of its ‘new deal for consumers’ package of measures. Continue reading
Adapting to new digital realities: Main issues and policy responses
Digital technologies have changed the way we live and transformed the world around us at unprecedented speed. They have affected all important aspects of life, both at work and at home, and have influenced almost everything from human relations to the economy, to the extent that access to the internet has now become a basic human right recognised by the United Nations. Continue reading
Strengthening market surveillance of harmonised industrial products [EU Legislation in Progress]
Harmonised products represent 69 % of the overall value of industrial products in the internal market. However, a significant part of these products does not comply with harmonised EU rules. Continue reading
Revised Energy Efficiency Directive [EU Legislation in Progress]
On 30 November 2016, the European Commission presented a proposal for a revised Energy Efficiency Directive, as part of the Clean Energy package. Continue reading
Contracts for the supply of digital content and digital services [EU Legislation in Progress]
The digital content directive was proposed by the European Commission as part of a legislative package, alongside the online sales directive, to facilitate the development of the internal market for such content. Continue reading
Consumer Protection Cooperation [EU Legislation in Progress]
The Commission estimates that the detriment to consumers caused by non-compliance with basic EU consumer rules in certain cross-border online markets and also by inefficient cross-border enforcement amounts to €770 million per year.
To remedy this, the Commission has presented a legislative proposal to review the existing rules on consumer protection cooperation between enforcement authorities as part of its e-commerce package in May 2016. Continue reading
Consumer sale of goods [EU Legislation in Progress]
On 22 February 2018, the European Parliament’s Committee for the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) adopted its report on the Commission proposal for a new directive on the consumer sale of goods. Continue reading
Smart appliances and the electrical system
Written by Nikolina Šajn, Smart appliances could help shift demand away from peak periods, which is important for an electricity system that relies on variable renewable energy sources. Most of this move will have to be automated, with smart appliances communicating with the electricity system. However, this is contingent on solving issues regarding the interoperability … Continue reading
Energy poverty: Protecting vulnerable consumers [Policy Podcast]
Written by Nikolina Sajn, Between 50 million and 125 million people in the EU are at risk of energy poverty – unable to keep their homes warm or pay their bills. Many cope by spending less on food, heating only some rooms in their homes or during only parts of the day, wearing multiple layers … Continue reading
Cross-border parcel delivery services [EU Legislation in Progress]
High prices and the inconvenience of cross-border parcel delivery have been identified as being among the main obstacles to a bigger uptake of e-commerce among European consumers and retailers. Continue reading
G20 voluntary cooperation in energy policy
Written by Nikolina Šajn G20 energy ministers held their first ever meeting on 2 October 2015. Their discussion focused on renewable energy, energy efficiency, universal access to energy and investments in energy. The ministers adopted the ‘Toolkit of Voluntary Options for Renewable Energy Deployment’, aimed at increasing the use of renewable energy around the world, … Continue reading
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