The EU law for safe products turned 20. How has it fared?
The General Product Safety Directive − the EU’s flagship piece of legislation protecting consumers from unsafe products − applied as of January 2002. But, because of the COVID-crisis, the directive’s twentieth birthday didn’t get the celebration it deserved. So, let’s...
How I convinced my landlord to install solar panels on my roof
In the last in our series of blogs on sustainable housing, BEUC DG Monique Goyens explains how she convinced her landlord to install solar panels on her roof to help cut her energy bills.
Why exempting small and medium-size marketplaces from checks on online traders is a bad idea
Laws in the EU that require seat belts to be installed in passenger cars do not exempt car manufacturers from the rules based on their size. That parallel might be worth remembering now the EU applies the finishing touches to...
It’s high time to attack the root causes of Europe’s energy price spike
Europe’s energy crisis has seen consumer bills for gas and electricity reach record levels. But why are we still not addressing its root causes, asks Monique Goyens? Governments must act now to speed up decarbonisation efforts and accompany consumers on...
The car data hype – no need to worry? Think twice
BEUC’s mobility expert Robin Loos brings us a story from his future self to explain why regulating access to car data is important.
Workers are the building blocks of the home Renovation Wave. But in Germany, where are they all?
The skills crunch is posing a big challenge to Germany’s plans to renovate its housing stock.
Driving electric: fun, cheap(ish) and full of benefits – First experiences of an EV-driving granny
What is it like to buy and drive an electric car? BEUC's Monique Goyens tells us about her first experiences of being an 'EV' owner.
Greener than green: high time to stop greenwashing
Concerns about the environment and the future of our planet are increasingly growing. In the latest Eurobarometer survey, the climate crisis is listed by EU citizens as the most serious problem the world is currently facing, and this in spite...
The price of bad advice: putting a stop to conflicts of interests in financial advice
This week, civil society organisations and industry associations are organising the first ever Europea Retirement Week, dedicated to discussing the future of pensions in Europe. This is a good opportunity for BEUC, the European Consumer Organisation, to remind policymakers that...
Why it’s time to ban surveillance ads
It’s the name of a forty-year-old hit that still holds huge popular appeal today. Every Breath You Take became The Police’s signature track, despite the creepy lyrics about a disturbingly possessive person who watches their lover’s every step. It’s also...