The Consumer Programme 2014-2020 with a budget of EUR 188,8 million will support EU consumer policy in the years to come. The purpose of an effective consumer policy is to ensure healthy markets in which consumers can operate safely and with confidence, and where cross-border trading and innovation are encouraged.
The Consumer programme was adopted by the Parliament at first reading during the Plenary session of January 2014 following the ordinary procedure. It was the result of intensive and fruitful negotiations from the three Institutions during technical meetings and trilogues.
In June 2012, the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection adopted a report on the proposal which highlighted notably the importance of vulnerable consumers and reaffirmed the role of consumer organisations.
The most important issue in trilogue negotiations (in addition to the setting of the financial envelope which was tied to the MFF negotiations which incidentally postponed the final negotiations) related to the adoption annual work programme. A political agreement, reached in October 2013, limited the scope of the annual work plan to the adoption through implementing acts by the Commission of a small number of provisions. It maintained several key elements in the main legislation where the Parliament is necessarily involved. The agreement also ensures a timely mid-programme review after which (if it suggested changes), the EP would again have a say.
The new Regulation entered into force on 21 March 2014 but applies from 1 January 2014.
Rapporteur: Robert Rochefort (ALDE)
Shadows: Roberta Metsola (EPP), Maria Irigoyen Pérez (S&D), Heidi Rühle (Greens), Malcolm Harbour (ECR), Kyriacos Triantaphyllides (GUE), Matteo Salvini (EFD)
Opinion-giving committees: JURI and BUDG
Source : © European Union, 2014 - EP