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Drawing on a wide array of sources and literature, this study examines the role of the European Parliament in the establishment of the European Community's consumer policy. It argues that Parliament played a key role in placing this nascent policy issue on the agenda. It influenced the definition of what the policy should include, what it should focus on, and which instruments should be used to address the problems facing European consumers. In this process, Parliament filtered ideas, issues and ...

On 28 July 2023, the European Commission adopted a proposal to revise EU toy safety legislation, by introducing a new regulation and repealing Directive 2009/48/EC. The proposal pursues two main objectives: a) achieving a higher level of child protection, including from the most harmful substances; and b) reducing the number of non-compliant and unsafe toys on the EU market. In relation to the first objective, the proposal extends the definition of health to children's psychological and mental health ...

Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is defined as a process allowing complaints to be settled out of court with the assistance of an impartial dispute resolution body. On 17 October 2023, the European Commission adopted proposals for a directive amending several directives pertaining to consumer rights and ADR, in which the notion of complaint relates to situations where a relation between a consumer and a trader gives rise to a complaint from the consumer. Through ADR, consumers are able to settle ...

Today's massive increase in trade volumes, combined with the need to do border checks for compliance with the growing number of EU standards and to stay abreast of the continuously evolving trade strategies, has put EU customs authorities under a lot of pressure. Concerns have been raised that the EU's customs union is burdened by an uneven level of digitalisation across Member States, suboptimal coordination between the national authorities and overall complexity. This situation creates high administrative ...

In the absence of specific rules on claims regarding the 'green' nature of products, how can consumers be sure that such claims are reliable, comparable and verifiable throughout the EU? On 22 March 2023, the European Commission put forward a proposal for a directive on green claims. The proposed directive would require companies to substantiate the voluntary green claims they make in business-to-consumer commercial practices, by complying with a number of requirements regarding their assessment ...

In 2023, the EU celebrated the 30th anniversary of the single market. Recent shocks have shown not only how vulnerable to crises the single market is, but also the extent to which the EU economy relies on a well-functioning single market. It is now considered to be a key driver of EU resilience. In September 2022, the Commission put forward a single market emergency instrument (SMEI) package. It includes one main proposal for a regulation establishing a SMEI, and two accompanying proposals amending ...

The initiative results from growing concern that openness of European societies is being exploited for covert interference from foreign governments to manipulate decision-making processes and public opinion in the EU. The impact assessment (IA) clearly defines two problems relating to interest representation activities carried out on behalf of third countries: obstacles to the internal market due to fragmented regulation, and the unknown magnitude, trends and actors of these activities. It considers ...

Most products are not designed with their life cycle environmental impacts in mind, and it is difficult for consumers and economic operators to make sustainable choices when buying products. The EU still lacks an overarching legislative framework laying down rules for sustainable production and consumption of all products. Ecodesign refers to the integration of environmental sustainability considerations into the characteristics of a product, and into processes throughout its value chain. On 30 March ...

An independent media is a pillar of democracy and an important part of the economy, helping to shape public opinion and hold those in power to account. In recent years, however, there have been increasingly worrying trends across the European Union (EU), as documented in the annual rule of law reports by the European Commission, and by other tools such as the Media Pluralism Monitor. Tabled on 16 September 2022, the proposed European media freedom act (EMFA) would introduce a new set of rules to ...

On 7 November 2022, the European Commission published a proposal for a regulation on data collection and sharing relating to short-term accommodation rental services. The proposal contributes to the Commission's priority of making the EU fit for the digital age. To build a future-ready economy that works for people and builds on the recent Digital Services Act, the proposal regulates online platforms that connect hosts and guests for short-term accommodation rentals. The regulation should facilitate ...