Consumer Protection and over-indebtedness

EESC opinion: Consumer Protection and over-indebtedness

Key points:

The EESC:

  • is extremely concerned about the problem of over-indebtedness and reiterates the need for measures to be adopted at European level;
  • calls for a common definition of the concept of over-indebtedness to be adopted;
  • stresses that education, prevention and appropriate procedures for reintegrating over-indebted people into normal economic life are needed to properly address over-indebtedness;
  • advocates information campaigns involving all stakeholders in order to ensure pooling of complementary expertise;
  • emphasizes the essential role played by consumer and family associations in disseminating information and providing assistance to people who would like it;
  • believes that an appropriate, uniform procedure for preventing and dealing with situations of over-indebtedness must be put in place in all the Member States;
  • stresses also the importance it attaches to banking inclusion, which must be safeguarded for people in a situation of over-indebtedness in order to avoid any social exclusion;
  • reminds that combating over-indebtedness requires a European framework for usury;
  • reiterates its support for the concept of "responsible credit", which requires distributors and underwriters to use fair, ethical practices.

 

Other relevant EESC opinions:

For more information please contact the INT Section Secretariat.