Roaming done. International calls next
Since 15 June, roaming fees in the EU are part of history. That is undoubtedly great news for consumers and a big step towards the creation of a single market for telecom services. But it has also created a terrible...
Why cooperation should be the Brexit-buzzword
The European Union counts more than 30 agencies. Scattered throughout the EU – in Heraklion, Valenciennes, London or Bilbao – they perform specific tasks to help the EU implement its policies and prepare its decision-making. The agencies deal with cyber...
Financial guidance: the missing tool!
When you’re sick, you go to see a doctor. They usually provide a medical diagnosis and a resulting course of action. It’s the same for legal situations, where you go see your lawyer or notary. But who do you consult...
Consumer rights in trade agreements: a missing element?
In the past years, consumer organisations have worked intensively on the EU’s trade agreements with the US (TTIP) and Canada (CETA). We’ve stressed the advantages and challenges of these agreements and demanded that consumers benefit from them. For better or...
Me, myself and I(nsurance)
“I have lost 10 kilos over the last year”, an energetic insurance lobbyist told me last week. He told me that his smart watch had registered all the calories he had managed to shed. “Don’t I deserve a cut in...
Mhealth – opportunities and privacy risks
Out of the apps on your phone, how many of them are about health, fitness or lifestyle? Quite a few probably. Mobile health (mHealth) is trendy. It has the potential to transform the way healthcare is delivered because it allows...
Making clean cars work for consumers in the 2020s
In the next decade, the automotive sector has a huge chance to rid itself of its bad-boy-Dieselgate tag and clean up the cars of the future. This means an investment in technologies that will cut emissions and the cost of...
Playing with consumers’ health: game over?
When you can’t access a drug treatment because of its price, you’ve probably run out of options. This is what happened some years ago to some patients affected by a severe eye disease [1]. They were denied treatment due to...
Air passenger rights have not taken off
We don’t know if readers are among the 25% air passengers who have experienced flight delays, but they very well could be because that is a shockingly high percentage. We have released an international survey together with 7 other consumer...
The difference between a Stradivarius violin and your electric toothbrush
Antonio Stradivari was an Italian genius who created over 1,000 musical instruments of the finest quality. Several hundred of his famous violins survived the past 350 years through turbulent times, and their sound still rejoices us today. Their owners would...