New Directive To Boost Consumer Rights Online

摘要

Consumer protection is about to be given a boost in the EU. On 8 October, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a directive (COM(2008)614) aiming to give EU consumers more confidence to shop on the internet and in the streets all across the EU. "The single market has the potential to deliver a lot more choice and opportunities for consumers. To exploit this, we need an EU-wide safety net of rights," said the EU's Commissioner for Consumer Affairs Meglena Kuneva. Kuneva also said that the online market is the fastest growing sector in the EU: "We expect a growth of 2137c within five years." The proposed consumer rights directive aims to simplify four existing directives into one set of rules which should guarantee clear information, protection against late delivery and non-delivery, cooling off periods, repairs, replacements and guarantees for consumers across the EU. For businesses, it should become easier to sell across borders because their costs resulting from national rules will be reduced. At a press conference, Kuneva emphasised that this directive will entail no extra costs for the stakeholders in any of the member states.