News
Knowledge is power - The same is true for consumer policy. Knowledge is also the prerequisite for learning. That is why ConPolicy shares information about relevant news in the world of consumer policy and activities of the institute.
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Older news can be found in this section.
British Financial Services Authority calls for more consumer orientation
In the context of a speech at the Chartered Institute of Bankers in Scotland Martin Wheatley, Managing Director of the Financial Services Authority (FSA), explained that while policy makers and firms had learned the lessons from... > read more
OFT argues that it saved consumers 8.5 Pounds a year in doorstep sales
Today the British OFT published the results of a study on doorstep sales. The study investigated the question what impact the Regulations 2008 on Cancellation of Contracts Made in a Consumer’s Home or Place of Work had. The study... > read more
ConPolicy moderates conference on CSR in SMEs for the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
Small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) represent the backbone of the German economy in which 99 percent of all companies are SMEs which employ more than 60 percent of the work force. Hence SMEs play a key role in operating... > read more
ConPolicy presents study on employee and consumer interests at a DGB workshop
Ensuring employment, decent working conditions and a fair pay on the one side, low prices on the other side: At first look employee and consumer interests seem to be at odds. While this tension should not be neglected, the... > read more
ConPolicy moderates debate on responsible consumption
Which are the pathways to responsible living? - The PERL-Conference „Beyond Consumption: Pathways to Responsible Living“ will explore this question with international guests at the Technische Universität Berlin within the... > read more
ConPolicy moderates workshop of the German Sustainability Commission
Sustainability labels are an important instrument to enable public and private consumers to purchase sustainable products and services. Labels can communicate product features which cannot be seen (such as labour conditions).... > read more
British Financial Services Authority publishes analysis of main risks facing consumers
Today the British Financial Services Authority (FSA) published an analysis of the main risks which potentially face British consumers in the financial services sector in the next one to one-and-a-half years. The analysis shows... > read more
British Financial Services Authority publishes guidance to redress victims of PPI mis-selling
Many firms mis-sold British consumers payment protection insurance (PPI) in the past years. Now firms begin to contact consumers who may have been mis-sold a policy but have not yet complained. The British Financial Services... > read more
EU study reveals difficulties in switching bank accounts
Today the European Commission published a study which investigates the ease by which consumers can switch their bank account. It also takes into account the common principles which were developed by the Banking Industry... > read more
US Administration publishes blueprint for a Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights
Today the Obama administration published a blueprint for a Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights for the Digital Age. This bill includes seven key rights: Individual control: Consumers have a right to exercise control over what... > read more
ConPolicy celebrates its 2nd anniversary and says thank you
Today ConPolicy – the Institute for Consumer Policy – is celebrating its second anniversary! Two years in which consumer policy research has gained significant momentum in Germany – two years in which ConPolicy was able to... > read more
OFT criticizes insufficient competition in the market for extended warranties
Yesterday, the British Office of Fair Trading (OFT) published the results of a market study on extended warranties in the market for electricity goods. The study highlights that despite some improvements in the 1 billion... > read more
British consumers surf faster, but honest advertising is still a challenge
Today the UK communication regulator, Ofcom, published a study which shows that UK consumers are achieving 22 percent faster broadband speeds at home than they were 12 months ago. In November 2011, the average actual UK... > read more
EU Commission proposes new rules for data protection
Today the European Commission proposed a comprehensive reform of the EU’s 1995 data protection rules. The objectives of the proposal are to strengthen online privacy rights and boost Europe’s digital economy. The proposals... > read more
Consumer credit websites underperform consumers - results of an EU-wide investigation
Yesterday, on the 10th of January 2012 the European Commission published the results of an EU-wide investigation of websites offering consumer credit. The key question was whether consumers are receiving the information to which... > read more
Label should better protect Chinese consumers in E-Commerce - kick-off of research project
In November 2011 a study on the status quo of consumer protection in Chinese E-Commerce was published. One of the recommendations of the study was the introduction of an E-Commerce label that could better protect Chinese... > read more
ConPolicy to provide behavioural studies to the European Commission
A consortium which is led by London Economics and which comprises also of Nuffield College (University of Oxford), Ipsos MORI and ConPolicy has entered a framework contract with the European Commission. The objective is to... > read more
German Network Consumer Research constituted
On World Consumer Day the German Federal Minister for Consumer Protection Ilse Aigner announced the creation of a “Network Consumer Research”. Today the Network met for a constitutional meeting in Berlin. The objective of... > read more
Study on consumer protection in E-commerce in China and Germany published
E-Commerce is growing rapidly in China and Germany. A research project, at which ConPolicy participated, investigated how E-Commerce should best be regulated to improve consumer protection. The results of this study are now... > read more
European Commission presents new Consumer Programme 2014-2020
On Wednesday, 9th of November 2011 the European Commission adopted proposals for a new Consumer Programm. The programm will run from 2014 until 2020 with a budget of 197 million Euro. The objective of the programme is to place... > read more
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