Today the European Parliament has voted to help consumers make more sustainable choices, improving products’ information and expected lifetime. The legislative initiative, dubbed ‘Empowering Consumers for the green transition’, is a major step forward to contribute to Europe’s efforts towards a circular economy. BEUC applauds the Parliament’s strong position - which strengthens the original Commission proposal - and calls on Member States to adopt a similar approach in the upcoming negotiations to finalise the text.

The lead committees in the European Parliament want beefed-up protections for consumers in the AI Act, which would be the world’s first law addressing artificial intelligence. The text approved today in the civil liberties (LIBE) and internal market and consumer protection (IMCO) committees would clearly improve the Commission’s proposal. It addresses crucial issues that the Member States ignored in their position adopted in December last year.

EU energy-efficiency rules, known as Ecodesign, help shield consumers from sky-high energy prices when using their home appliances. A study published today by BEUC, the European Consumer Organisation, reveals among others that during the energy crisis in 2022 consumers could save up to €2,450 on their energy bills, using the most efficient appliances. Considering these encouraging results, BEUC calls on the European Commission to allocate enough financial resources to expand the rules further.

A survey across eight European countries shows that consumers are more cautious about sharing their health data than legislation currently under discussion at EU level proposes. The findings underline that EU legislators urgently need to better reflect people’s preferences in the European Health Data Space Regulation which is already under discussion by the EU institutions. This is essential for people to feel confident about sharing their health data to improve healthcare provision and make their data available for research and public health purposes.