Involvement of consumer associations / the single market

EESC opinion: Involvement of consumer associations / the single market

Key points

The EESC:

  • recalls that it is essential to put the consumer at the centre of the EU's economic and financial policies and emphasizes the role of consumer organizations in this process;
  • calls on the Commission to take the initiative to provide consumer organizations with certain common minimum rights they ought to have;
  • considers that the Commission should encourage Member States and national regulators to promote transparency, information and decision-making, stimulating discussion of the interests at stake and supporting positive discrimination in favour of organizations that represent the interests of consumers so that they can participate on an equal basis with economic players in regulators' discussion forums and consultative bodies;
  • notes the difficulties faced by consumers in relation to comparing services, in particular services of general economic interest;
  • suggests setting up a system similar to the RAPEX system for defective products for sub-standard services, to allow consumer associations, through their networks, to warn consumers about such services.

Other EESC opinions on consumers topic.

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