For the fifth time the EU Commission published today the Consumer Scoreboard. The results show a clear recovery in consumer conditions in nearly all EU countries after a steep decline in 2009. The results also confirm a growing gap between domestic and cross-border e-commerce.
Health and Consumer Policy Commissioner, John Dalli, argued: “I want to praise all those Member States who have continued to invest in a quality environment for consumers in these tough times. We are turning the corner: the trust of EU consumers in consumer institutions starts going back to previous levels.”
Monique Goyens, BEUC Director General said: “Green shoots of rising consumer confidence are evident in the findings, but there are some alarming signs of how well informed European businesses are of their obligations to consumers and there is strong proof that countries with low consumer confidence levels often are a result of unambitious consumer policy, a lack of market supervision and weak enforcement of consumer rights”.
The Consumer Scoreboard provides evidence and alerts how the single market is performing for EU consumers. The spring edition monitors improvements in national conditions for consumers reflected e.g. in the consumers’ trust in their national consumer authorities and consumer organizations or the effectiveness of handling their complaints. The autumn edition screens 50 specific consumer markets across the EU to identify those which may be malfunctioning from a consumer point of view.
For further information: ec.europa.eu/consumers/strategy/facts_en.htm and www.beuc.org/Content/Default.asp
Source: European Commission - DG SANCO and BEUC