For the third year the European Commission publishes facts about consumer markets in Europe. The results suggest that:
- EU consumers are still not reaping the full benefits of the internal market: The discrepancy between consumers purchasing only nationally and those who order goods cross-border is growing.
- The national conditions for consumers have declined in many countries: Consumer trust in consumer authorities and attitudes towards the handling of disputes have gone down.
- There are large differences in consumers’ ability to afford goods and services.
John Dalli, the Commissioner in charge of consumer policy argued: “For consumers, a single European market is a promise of greater choice and lower prices. However this promise often goes unfulfilled, as traders and shoppers alike are confined within national borders by formidable hurdles which, together with my colleagues commissioners, I am determined to dismantle". He added: "I want to praise those Member States which - in the face of pressure on national budgets - continue to invest in an environment where consumer watchdogs are trusted and disputes are swiftly resolved”.
The Autumn Scoreboard will be adopted in October and will screen 50 specific market sectors to identify those which may be malfunctioning for consumers.
For further information, see: http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/10/384&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
Source: DG Sanco