Marketing of products with false health and cosmetic claims

3.3.2015

Question for written answer E-003429-15
to the Commission
Rule 130
Biljana Borzan (S&D) , Simona Bonafè (S&D) , Miriam Dalli (S&D)

Research shows that one third of consumers buy health products without consulting a doctor. That leaves much room for false advertising and unfair trading practices. Products brandishing false claims to promote hair growth, increase breast size or cure cancer are ubiquitous, especially online. In Croatia, one in five people feel as if they were victims of unfair or misleading advertising practices in the last two years.

Though the false advertising of health benefits has been blacklisted by the Commission and falls under the directive on unfair commercial practices, Consumer associations still report various instances of related fraud.

The problem is that national authorities struggle to combat relatively ‘small’ instances of fraud, and Internet fraud is very difficult to prosecute.

Could the Commission state what impact the directive and blacklist have had on such practices?

Are there plans to better regulate the products available on the internal market in this respect?