Annexes to COM(2020)696 - New Consumer Agenda Strengthening consumer resilience for sustainable recovery - Main contents
Please note
This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(2020)696 - New Consumer Agenda Strengthening consumer resilience for sustainable recovery. |
|---|---|
| document | COM(2020)696  |
| date | November 13, 2020 |
These measures are key for matching consumers’ financing needs with their ability to repay and thus reduce the risk of payment default and over-indebtedness. Nevertheless, they might sometimes be unable to repay debts as they fall due. Accordingly, it may be necessary to evaluate the most appropriate means of dealing with consumer over-indebtedness, including the discharge of debts 86 .
Affordability is crucial to ensuring access to products and services for low income consumers, as highlighted by the European Social Policy Network 87 . Some Member States use consumer protection measures alongside social protection measures to target low-income people. The Commission Recommendation on Energy Poverty 88 provides Member States with guidance on ways to address energy poverty, in order to empower vulnerable energy consumers.
Older people and people with disabilities have specific consumption-related needs. It is important to ensure that clear, user-friendly and accessible information is available both online and offline in accordance with EU accessibility requirements for products and services 89 . Older consumers and consumers with disabilities also need accessible products and assistive technologies that are compatible with mainstream technologies. A fair and non-discriminatory approach to the digital transformation should cater to the needs of older consumers, consumers with disabilities and more generally ‘off-liners’ who may be less familiar or less at ease with digital tools and more prone to fall victim to fraud. Experience from some Member States shows that local initiatives that provide advice to consumers in rural areas or urban districts 90 are among the most effective. Social economy organisations are particularly well placed to address these needs thanks to their proximity to local and rural communities. Similar initiatives could be promoted through common action at EU level under the future MFF.
Children and minors are particularly exposed to misleading or aggressive commercial practices online. It is important to invest more in lifelong consumer education and awareness raising, for people at all stages of life from school onwards. This should also include the promotion of financial literacy as an essential skill for empowering consumers to make good decisions about their personal finances 91 . Better coordination of actions among key actors at national and EU level covering issues such as access to online educational material and capacity building could help achieve synergies, constant innovation, adaptation and uptake of new online and pedagogical approaches, including through the creation of online platforms and other tools.
Children are also particularly exposed to risks relating to products 92 . Of all the products notified as dangerous in the Safety Gate/RAPEX system in 2019 as many as 32% were toys or products for childcare. Besides revising the General Product Safety Directive and strengthening the overall framework, the Commission will develop updated safety requirements for standards on products for children. The Commission also plans to support sampling and testing children’s products 93 through coordinated market surveillance activities by Member States 94 . In addition, it will include protecting the safety of children and other vulnerable groups in the 2021 edition of the EU Product Safety Award to promote best business practices in this area.
Directive 2004/113/EC 95 ensures equal treatment between men and women in the access to and supply of goods and services. This ensures protection against, for instance, the refusal of access to credit services for pregnant women based on an expected potential loss of income and the exclusion of single mothers from certain financial services on the basis of a perceived higher risk of default. In addition, Directive 2000/43/EC 96 lays down a framework for combating discrimination on the grounds of racial or ethnic origin, with a view to putting into effect in the Member States the principle of equal treatment.
The risk of discrimination is at times exacerbated by algorithms used by certain goods and services providers, and which may be formulated with certain biases often resulting from pre-existing cultural or social expectations. Whereas this may lead to discrimination among consumers generally, it often affects certain groups more than others, and in particular people from minority ethnic or racial backgrounds 97 . The upcoming proposal for a horizontal legislative framework on Artificial Intelligence will aim to specifically address how to limit risks of bias and discrimination from being built into algorithmic systems.
Lastly, evidence from behavioural economics 98 shows that the behaviours of consumers are often affected by cognitive biases, especially online, which can be exploited by traders for commercial purposes. Such new forms of risks can affect virtually all consumers. Transparency obligations are certainly important in tackling information asymmetries (as also mentioned above in the context of the digital transformation), but further assessment is required to determine the need for additional measures to address this dynamic form of vulnerability.
·Action 15: From 2021, the Commission plans to increase funding for actions enhancing the availability and quality of debt advice services in Member States.
·Action 16: The Commission aims to support, as of 2021, initiatives providing local advice to consumers, who for structural or personal reasons do not have access to support and information provided online or at central information offices.
·Action 17: In 2021, the Commission foresees to prepare a Commission Decision on safety requirements to be met by standards on childcare products in addition to strengthening the product safety framework through a proposal for the revision of the General Product Safety Directive.
·Action 18: By 2023, the Commission will develop a strategic approach to improving consumer awareness and education, addressing also the needs of different groups, on the basis inter alia of equality and non-discrimination approaches.
3.5. Consumer protection in the global context
Example: With the rise of e-commerce, cooperation with international partners, in particular China, becomes ever more important. The proportion of purchases from sellers outside the EU increased from 17% in 2014 to 27% in 2019 99 . Intensifying product safety cooperation with China through an action plan with a specific focus on products sold online could help reduce the number of unsafe products sold directly to EU consumers.
Production and value chains are increasingly global and interconnected. Distribution and retail chains are driven by the rapid growth of online trade and the platform economy. As a result, strong international cooperation among authorities and all actors in the supply chain is important to ensure effective protection of consumers. At the same time, it is important for the EU to project at international level its high level of consumer protection as a European value and model.
Ensuring the safety of imports and protecting EU consumers from unfair business practices used by non‑EU operators requires reinforced action at home through stronger market surveillance tools and closer cooperation with authorities in EU partner countries. A large number of dangerous products found in the EU come from third countries. In 2019, for example, 64% of alerts in Safety Gate/RAPEX concerned products made outside of the EEA, often in China. Since 2006, the Commission has engaged in product safety cooperation through the RAPEX-China system and this has helped to reduce the number of unsafe products even if the figure remains high overall.
Cooperation and exchanging data on dangerous products with countries with similar markets could be another way to ensure the safety of EU consumers. In doing so, Member States could target their activities better and address new and emerging risks. To help in this effort, the Commission has set up arrangements for a regular exchange of information on dangerous products with Canada. It also draws on the important potential of trade policy and is discussing the inclusion of a similar exchange on safety and compliance of non-food products and related market surveillance in trade agreements currently under preparation (e.g. with Australia, New Zealand and Chile).
It is equally important to seek close cooperation with countries in the European Neighbourhood and the Western Balkans. The latter are especially important due to their geographical proximity and their process of alignment with the EU acquis in the consumer protection and safety area.
The EU’s high consumer protection standards can serve as an example for other countries with less advanced structures for consumer protection and should be promoted in international agenda setting. For example, some non‑EU countries have expressed strong interest in adopting a system similar to the EU’s Safety Gate/RAPEX. In this regard, the Commission provides regulatory support and is engaged in capacity building activities.
Multilateral cooperation on consumer issues is key to promoting a high level of protection and safety at international level and to protecting consumers globally. In cooperation with Member States, the Commission will continue to use its influence in international organisations, such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), or the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), in order to achieve these goals.
·Action 19: In 2021, the Commission aims at developing an action plan with China for strengthened product safety cooperation for products sold online.
·Action 20: As of 2021, the Commission will seek to develop regulatory support, technical assistance and capacity building for EU partner countries, including in Africa 100 .
4.Governance
This Agenda sets out the Commission’s proposed actions to foster consumer policy priorities that could be pursued by the EU and its Member States in the next five years and beyond. Its success will depend on a broad partnership involving all relevant stakeholders. This new vision of cooperation between EU and national policy priorities implies a new framework for enhanced cooperation capable of delivering concrete actions. It should build on yearly priorities, discussed at an annual Consumer Summit bringing together all stakeholders 101 around the World Consumer Day 102 . The Summit should review progress achieved in the previous year and set the priorities for the year ahead.
The Commission will seek regular discussions with the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. It will also work closely with Member States in the context of existing networks 103 , working groups or ad hoc task forces. The Commission will in this regard work closely with national authorities to ensure close coordination of actions and best use of relevant available funds at the EU and national levels. Exchange of the results from research and scientific projects as well as data exchange between Member States and the Commission could contribute to a solid evidence base of relevant data.
This work should be accompanied by close and effective cooperation with key stakeholders, including consumer organisations, industry and academics. Strong consumer organisations at Union and national level are essential partners in designing the work under this Agenda, reaching out to consumers and supporting them. The Commission will establish a new Consumer Policy Advisory Group to review progress and reflect on priorities in the year ahead as input into the Consumer Summit discussions. It should bring all stakeholders together but also allow for targeted discussions, e.g. between consumer organisations and public authorities. Various forms of cooperation with business should be pursued, including through training activities, exchange of good practices, and meetings with companies engaged in voluntary pledges.
In parallel, the current Consumer Conditions Scoreboard on the situation of consumers throughout the EU, should be further developed to reflect better the reality of consumer protection, product safety and sustainable consumption at EU and national levels, on the basis of a revised set of indicators. It should build on a reinforced system of data collection covering the situation across markets and countries, views and behaviour of consumers as well as Member States’ enforcement capacities and actions. On the basis of data gathered through the scoreboard and close cooperation with all stakeholders, EU and national measures and action could be designed, aligned and prioritised for maximum impact for consumers’ benefit throughout the EU.
·Action 21: The Commission aims at setting up a Consumer Policy Advisory Group bringing together representatives from the consumer organisations, civil society and the industry in support of the consumer agenda 104 .
·Action 22: The Commission plans to revamp the Consumer Conditions Scoreboard in 2021 to improve its monitoring and benchmarking function as well as its relevance for strengthening enforcement cooperation in the EU.
5.Conclusion
The EU has a solid consumer protection framework developed over many years and recently enhanced through several legislative initiatives from which consumers in the EU will benefit in the years to come. This New Consumer Agenda outlines how these achievements could be consolidated through a range of actions to address challenges, many of which have been further highlighted in the context of the current pandemic, and to reinforce the overall framework of engagement between EU institutions, Member States and stakeholders. This will contribute as a key driver for a sustainable recovery and resilience of the EU economy and consumers.
The Commission looks forward to a wide-ranging dialogue with all interested parties on the priorities and actions as well as the cooperation methods to promote consumer protection in the years ahead as set out in this Agenda.
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https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-topic/consumers/review-eu-consumer-law-new-deal-consumers_en .
(2)
Eurostat: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Household_consumption_by_purpose .
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EU SME Strategy for a sustainable and digital Europe, COM(2020)103final.
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Article 12 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
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https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_en .
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COM(2020)98final.
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https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/communication-shaping-europes-digital-future_en .
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The Agenda lists actions in a selective and non-exhaustive manner in order to highlight major work streams and avoid overlap with other strategies and action plans already agreed.
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See https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12464-A-New-Consumer-Agenda .
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Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council and the European Investment Bank on EU strategy for COVID-19 vaccines. COM(2020)245final.
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https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-travel-eu/health/coronavirus-response/public-health_en.
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Commission Communication on additional COVID-19 response measure of 28.10.2020, COM(2020)687final and Commission Recommendation of 28.10.2020 on COVID-19 testing strategies, including the use of rapid antigen tests, C(2020)7502final.
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An IPSOS survey for the Commission showed that in addition to a notable increase in online shopping in the first half of 2020, many consumers expect to make fewer visits to sporting or cultural events in the year to come (40 - 60%) and fewer trips on public transport (24 – 43%).
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Commission Recommendation (EU)2020/648 of 13 May 2020 on vouchers offered to passengers and travelers as an alternative to reimbursement for cancelled package travel and transport services in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic (OJ L 151, 14.5.2020).
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Passenger Rights Regulations (EC) 261/2004, (EC) 1371/2007, (EU) 1177/2010 and (EU) 181/2011, and Directive (EU) 2015/2302 on package travel.
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https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-travel-eu/consumers/enforcement-consumer-protection/scams-related-covid-19_en .
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As a result, platforms reported a sharp decrease of at least 80% in misleading marketing of face masks or other protective equipment in the summer as compared to the March average.
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In this context, see the guidelines recently published by the Commission https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/waste_management_guidance_dg-env.pdf .
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The Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on 2020 Strategic Foresight Report, COM(2020)493final, gives foresight a key role in developing future-proof EU policymaking and in grounding short-term initiatives in a longer-term perspective. Foresight can help build collective intelligence and chart the way forward for the twin green and digital transitions and to recover from disruptions. Among other foresight activities, the Commission's Joint Research Centre monitors 14 megatrends as part of its Megatrends Hub some of which are highly relevant to consumer policies.
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Taking into account the relevant actions proposed in the Joint Communication to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Tackling COVID-19 disinformation -getting the facts right, JOIN(2020)8final - see Section 8.
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Meaning that a product cannot be used for the expected purpose and break earlier than expected.
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A behavioral study on consumer’s engagement in the circular economy ( https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-travel-eu/consumers/sustainable-consumption_en#behaviouralstudyonconsumersengagementinthecirculareconomy ).
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Special Eurobarometer 501 (March 2020) Attitudes of European citizens towards the environment https://ec.europa.eu/commfrontoffice/publicopinion/index.cfm/survey/getSurveydetail/instruments/special/surveyky/2257.
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A recent JRC report on life cycle assessment-based indicators identifies consumption of food, housing and mobility as relevant contributors to the overall environmental impacts of EU consumers. Sala S. et al. (2019) Indicators and Assessment of the environmental impact of EU consumption. Consumption and Consumer Footprint for assessing and monitoring EU policies with Life Cycle Assessment, doi:10.2760/403263, JRC114814.
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COM(2020)381final.
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COM(2020)380final.
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E.g. a proposal for a legislative framework for sustainable food systems, a proposal for a sustainable food labelling framework to empower consumers to make sustainable food choices.
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Changing consumer choices towards healthy diets can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as recognized in the communication on Stepping up Europe’s 2030 Climate Ambition (COM/2020/562). To enhance consumers’ access to information and to make the healthy and sustainable choice the easy choice, the Farm to Fork Strategy sets out a framework for action. These actions range from the mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labelling, animal welfare labelling, setting nutrient profiles to restrict promotion of food high in salt, sugars or fat or exploring the extension of the mandatory origin indication for certain foods.
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https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12588-EU-Action-Plan-Towards-a-Zero-Pollution-Ambition-for-air-water-and-soil.
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Amongst others, awareness-raising campaigns could be considered to encourage consumers to make enhanced resort to clean and safe tap water, rather than plastic-bottled one, to safely dispose unused pharmaceuticals, to play a role in preventing micro-plastics from reaching our fresh- and marine waters, to choose cleaner transport modes as well as cleaner heating and cooling systems to contribute to clean air, both indoor and outdoor and to be able to identify products which contribute to safeguarding nature through sustainable use of Natura 2000 sites.
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COM(2020)667final.
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COM(2018)097final.
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COM(2020) 662final.
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Notably, the initiatives for a sustainable product policy and on substantiating green claims.
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Accessibility is to be understood as the removal and preventions of barriers that hinder participation of persons with disabilities on equal basis with others. It also contributes to durability and reusability and indicated in the Circular economy action plan in line with Directive (EU) 2019/882 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on the accessibility requirements for products and services, OJ L 151, 7.6.2019, p. 70.
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https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12567-Sustainable-Products-Initiative .
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https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02009L0125-20121204.
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A key action announced in the Digital Strategy , Shaping Europe’s Digital Future, COM(2020) 67 final, and in the Circular Economy Action Plan, COM(2020)98final.
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https://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/electrical-engineering/red-directive/common-charger_en .
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Additionally, the Commission will also explore options for EU-wide take-back and return schemes of small electronics to improve the collection and treatment of e-waste and to provide consumers with more information and options to return their used and waste electronics stored at home.
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https://ec.europa.eu/info/files/factual-summary-report-public-consultation-new-consumer-agenda_en .
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Directive 2019/771 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2019 on certain aspects concerning contracts for the sale of goods, amending Regulation (EU) 2017/2394 and Directive 2009/22/EC, and repealing Directive 1999/44/EC (OJ L 136, 22.5.2019, p. 28).
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https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=LEGISSUM%3Aco0012.
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COM(2018)097final.
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In particular, the Sustainability-related Disclosure Regulation (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32019R2088), the EU Taxonomy ( https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:32020R0852 ) and the ongoing revision of the Non-Financial Reporting Directive.
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Directive (EU) 2019/944 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on common rules for the internal market for electricity and amending Directive 2012/27/EU (OJ L 158, 14.6.2019, p. 125).
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Also announced in the EU Data Strategy COM(2020)66final.
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https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52020PC0409
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The European Green Deal Call launched in September 2020 invites for solutions empowering citizens e.g. through mobile phone apps measuring their carbon footprint on the basis of data on their consumption habits and lifestyle preferences and providing personalised footprint-reducing suggestions.
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For instance, the Consumer Footprint tool developed by the Commission.
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See Commission Work Programme 2021, COM(2020)690final.
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For instance, Recommendation 2013/179/EU on the use of common methods to measure and communicate the life cycle environmental performance of products and organisations, and suggestions for updating the EF methods https://eplca.jrc.ec.europa.eu/permalink/PEF_method.pdf), EMAS Regulation (EC) 1221/2009 or EU Ecolabel Regulation (EC) 66/2010.
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UK, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden and Germany.
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Eurostat - Digital economy and society statistics - households and individuals - Ordering or buying goods and services.
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Directive (EU)2019/2161 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 amending Council Directive 93/13/EEC and Directives 98/6/EC, 2005/29/EC and 2011/83/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the better enforcement and modernisation of Union consumer protection rules (OJ L 328, 18.12.2019, p. 7).
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Directive (EU) 2019/770 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2019 on certain aspects concerning contracts for the supply of digital content and digital services (OJ L 136, 22.5.2019, p. 1).
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User-interface designs aimed at manipulating consumers.
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Algorithms and related machine-learning, if not transparent and robust enough, may for example risk repeating, amplifying or contributing to biases that programmers may not be aware of or that are the result of specific data selection.
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Artificial Intelligence - A European approach to excellence and trust. COM(2020)65final.
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Report from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council and the European Economic and Social Committee - Report on the safety and liability implications of artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and robotics. COM(2020)64final.
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Inception Impact Assessment for a Proposal for a legal act of the European Parliament and the Council laying down requirements for Artificial Intelligence.
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Directive 2006/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 May 2006 on machinery, and amending Directive 95/16/EC(OJ L 157, 9.6.2006, p. 24).
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Directive 2014/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of radio equipment and repealing Directive 1999/5/EC(OJ L 153, 22.5.2014, p. 62).
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Directive 2001/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 December 2001 on general product safety (OJ L 11, 15.1.2002, p. 4).
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The Directive applies in the absence of more specific provisions with the same objective in EU legislation.
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The Commission is currently evaluating on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the internal market (eIDAS Regulation).
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Regulation (EU) 2018/302 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 February 2018 on addressing unjustified geo-blocking and other forms of discrimination based on customers' nationality, place of residence or place of establishment within the internal market and amending Regulations (EC) No 2006/2004 and (EU) 2017/2394 and Directive 2009/22/EC (OJ L 60 I, 2.3.2018, p. 1). The Commission will soon adopt the Report presenting its conclusions, including the need to carefully monitor the implementation of the Regulation by the competent authorities in order to ensure that consumers and businesses fully benefit from the full potential of the Digital Single Market.
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Communication “A European strategy for data” (COM(2020)66final.
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In September 2020, to ensure that consumers and businesses reap the benefits of innovation while being protected, the Commission adopted a new digital finance package, https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/200924-digital-finance-proposals_en .
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Retail Payments Strategy for the EU, COM(2020)592final).
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COM(2020)592final.
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Directive 2019/882 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on the accessibility requirements for products and services (OJ).
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COM(2020)624 Communication Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027 Resetting education and training for the digital age.
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https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-travel-eu/consumers/enforcement-consumer-protection/sweeps_en .
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Regulation (EU) 2017/2394 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2017 on cooperation between national authorities responsible for the enforcement of consumer protection laws and repealing Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004, OJ L 345, 27.12.2017, p. 1–26.
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See also the Joint Communication of 10 June 2020 “Tackling COVID-19 disinformation - Getting the facts right”, JOIN(2020) 8 final.
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Directive (EU) 2019/2161 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 amending Council Directive 93/13/EEC and Directives 98/6/EC, 2005/29/EC and 2011/83/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the better enforcement and modernisation of Union consumer protection rules, OJ L 328, 18.12.2019, p. 7–28.
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Text of the provisional agreement by the co-legislators under political agreement on the proposal on 22 June 2020.
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TSI – former Structural Reform Support Programmes; COM(2020)409final.
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https://ec.europa.eu/isa2/eif_en .
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The Commission organised in May and June 2020 stakeholder dialogue roundtables to discuss relief measures offered by banks and non-bank lenders, following which a best practices document was published in July 2020.
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The BIT report on online harm and manipulation describes several interesting options, including proposals on the use of data to identify vulnerable consumers (p. 52), and other measures (e.g. self-exclusion).
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https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20200525IPR79717/eu-citizens-want-more-competences-for-the-eu-to-deal-with-crises-like-covid-19 .
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The Code aims to serve as a quality label with a unified set of best practices for European microfinance institutions that provide business loans of up to €25,000 for micro-entrepreneurs or self-employed persons. See: https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1482&langId=en .
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See the above mentioned Action 10.
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See Directive (EU) 2019/1023 on Restructuring, insolvency and discharge of debt.
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Baptista, I. and Marlier, E. (2020), Access to essential services for people on low incomes in Europe. An analysis of policies in 35 countries, European Social Policy Network (ESPN), Brussels: European Commission.
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C(2020)9600 final, 14.10.2020 Commission Recommendation on energy poverty, 14 October 2020.
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Directive (EU) 2019/882 on the accessibility requirements for products and services https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32019L0882 (OJ L 151, 7.6.2019, p. 70).
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See e.g. ‘Empowering consumers in the neighbourhood’, joint project by the Federation of German Consumer Organisations (vzbv) and consumer centres.
https://www.vzbv.de/pressemitteilung/verbraucher-staerken-im-quartier .
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See Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of Regions – A Capital Markets Union for people and businesses – new action plan, COM(2020)590final, Action 7: Empowering citizens through financial literacy.
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Injury data show that children and old people are the most vulnerable consumer groups when it comes to product safety. Together they account for 54% of all product-related injuries, but only 35% of the EU population.
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Checking the safety of products sold online and offline e.g. reclined cradles, baby swings and baby walkers.
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Coordinated Activities on the Safety of Products (art.10 of Directive 2001/95/EC on General Product Safety).
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Council Directive 2004/113/EC of 13 December 2004 implementing the principle of equal treatment between men and women in the access to and supply of goods and services (OJ L 373, 21.12.2004, p. 37.
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Council Directive 2000/43/EC of 29 June 2000 implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin (OJ L 180, 19.7.2000, p. 22).
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https://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra_uploads/fra-2018-focus-big-data_en.pdf
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http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/consumer_evidence/market_studies/vulnerability/index_en.htm .
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Eurostat https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/E commerce_statistics_for_individuals#E-shopping_from_other_EU_countries .
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Cf. EU strategy with Africa - Joint Communication from the European Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to the European Parliament and the Council Brussels JOIN(2020)4final of 9 March 2020.
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The Consumer Summit brings together stakeholders from EU Member States, including policymakers, national enforcement authorities, academia, consumer and business organisations as well as youth representatives.
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Which is celebrated every year on 15 March.
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For example the Consumer Policy Network, which brings together senior Member State and Commission officials.
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As an informal expert group in accordance with Commission decision of 30.05.2016 establishing horizontal rules on the creation and operation of Commission expert groups C(2016) 3301 final.