An effective consumer policy can change our citizens’ lives for the better. The IMCO Committee is working hard to ensure consumers can operate safely and with confidence when buying products and services in the EU, whether in their local shop or when shopping online across borders.
Many EU policies directly affect consumers. It is the case especially in such areas as product safety, internal market, trade, competition, financial services, transport, telecommunications, or energy. A stronger consumer dimension is needed across all policies. Confident, informed and empowered consumers are the motor of economic evolution: they are keys to the efficient functioning of markets, as they reward traders that operate fairly and respond best to consumers' needs.
Consumers should be offered a wider choice of high quality products and services at competitive prices. This is particularly essential in the current economic crisis in order to fight against growing inequalities and protect vulnerable consumers and low-income groups.
Key actions to empower EU consumers are related to enhancing consumer rights and redress mechanisms, providing accurate information, ensuring market transparency and guaranteeing safe and high quality products and services.
Source : © European Union, 2014 - EP