Consumer policy
- The EU has set minimum consumer protection policies that must be enforced. (Photo: Lis Lak)
The Lisbon Treaty proposes consumer protection as a shared competence.
EU law therefore suppress member states` existing legislation and right to legislate in these areas. See Art. 4 TFEU and 169 TFEU.
Consumer policy is decided by a qualified majority in the Council and co-decision with the European Parliament after a proposal from the European Commission.
Member states are free to impose a higher level of protection than set out in the common minimum EU rules, but all national rules shall comply with the rules and the principles of the Internal Market. Any conflict may ultimately be resolved by the EU Court in Luxembourg.
The power ('competence') of the EU over consumer policy was previously laid down in Art. 153 TEC. This provided that EC consumer policy must promote the consumers’ interests by protecting their health, safety and economic interests, and by improving their access to information, education and self-organisation. Measures could be either adopted in the context of the completion of the internal market or to support, supplement, and monitor national measures.
Notes
- The European consumers are organised in BEUC.
- The Commissioner responsible from 1999 to 2004 was David Byrne, who was replaced by Menglena Kuneva from Bulgaria.
Links
Directorate General for Health & Consumer Protection http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/index_en.htm
Activities of the European Union: consumers http://europa.eu/scadplus/leg/en/s16000.htm
