While there exist largely harmonised European standards for rights supporting the economic protection of consumers, in practice these rights are often breached, both nationally and cross-border. On 7 November 2011 the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) organised a Symposium, at which the following questions were discussed: How can consumer law be more extensively and effectively be enforced? How can consumers be strengthened in a market which appears to be becoming more and more complex?
ConPolicy-Director Dr Christian Thorun moderated the first session on "Enforcing consumer law effectiely- nationally and cross-border". Participants were: Gerd Billen (Executive Director of the Federation of German Consumer Organizations), Dr Malek Radeideh (Head of Economic Consumer Protection, BVL), Barnadette van Buchem (Director, Dutch Consumer Authority), Fernand Van Gansbeke (Director, Belgian Federal Public Service Economy) und Tamás Molnár (Head of Unit, DG SANCO).
The programme of the Symposium can be found at: http://www.conpolicy.de/data/user/Veranstaltungen/symposium_2011_flyer_en.pdf