The European Union aims to ensure that consumer interests are built into EU legislation in all relevant policy areas. Promoting consumer rights is crucial since an EU-level consumer policy is necessary for an efficient internal market, thus stimulating consumer confidence in cross-border relations. For this, all EU citizens must benefit from the same high level of consumer protection. Also, hoping to guarantee citizens the required level of protection the EU set safety requirements for a large range of products in 2004. New legislation is now setting even higher, EU safety, security and health standards to increase consumer confidence.

A number of measures have also been taken to safeguard consumers’ wider interests in diverse areas. Amongst others, these areas include; fair business practices, unfair contract terms and travelers’ rights and good on-line business practices.

Aiming to ensure high levels of customer protection and application of consumer protection rules the EU launched a new consumer protection programme with a budget of €157 million in 2006.

Finally a series of unjust commercial practices, such as misleading advertising and aggressive selling, were prohibited by the EU in 2007, helping to make consumers less weary about cross-border shopping.

EU legislation must be correctly implemented and individuals able to obtain redress. The European Commission has developed some low-cost dispute-settlement mechanisms to facilitate this process.

For more information on consumer policy please visit: http://europa.eu/pol/cons/index_en.htm