Position paper
Available in
English
The EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) introduces a right to explanation for decisions primarily based on high-risk AI systems. BEUC views this right as essential for accountability, enforcement, and redress under the AI Act.
BEUC has long warned that obscurity in AI and algorithmic systems undermines consumer autonomy and fosters unfair practices and discrimination, especially when consumers cannot understand the logic behind scoring, profiling, or risk assessments by AI systems. The right to an explanation helps rebalance this information and power asymmetry. It obliges companies to disclose meaningful information about logic and factors behind the decision.
This is the minimum requirement to allow consumers to detect mistakes, identify unfair practices and seek redress. To ensure the effectiveness of the right to explanation under the AI Act, BEUC recommends the EU to draft clear guidelines with the following in mind:
Clear guidance on the AI Act’s interpretation and the interplay with other EU legal frameworks
Connecting the right to an explanation and the right to complaint
Encourage proactive provision of explanations
Promote a clear two-step enforcement pathway process
BEUC has long warned that obscurity in AI and algorithmic systems undermines consumer autonomy and fosters unfair practices and discrimination, especially when consumers cannot understand the logic behind scoring, profiling, or risk assessments by AI systems. The right to an explanation helps rebalance this information and power asymmetry. It obliges companies to disclose meaningful information about logic and factors behind the decision.
This is the minimum requirement to allow consumers to detect mistakes, identify unfair practices and seek redress. To ensure the effectiveness of the right to explanation under the AI Act, BEUC recommends the EU to draft clear guidelines with the following in mind:
Clear guidance on the AI Act’s interpretation and the interplay with other EU legal frameworks
Connecting the right to an explanation and the right to complaint
Encourage proactive provision of explanations
Promote a clear two-step enforcement pathway process
Position paper
Available in
English
Competition law aims to protect consumers by ensuring fair market conditions, promoting choice and access, and stimulating lower prices and higher quality. The framework for the enforcement of those rules was adopted more than 20 years ago and was designed for traditional market structures.
The announced review of EU Regulation 1/2003 provides an opportunity to enhance the effectiveness of competition enforcement, while ensuring that consumers’ wellbeing and interests remain at the centre of competition law and policies. In today’s market characterised by rapid technological developments, we consider it important to strengthen the enforcement of competition law and review the tools authorities have at their disposal.
Our new position paper provides a list of our key recommendations for faster and more coherent antitrust enforcement with a stronger focus on consumers in competition policy.
The announced review of EU Regulation 1/2003 provides an opportunity to enhance the effectiveness of competition enforcement, while ensuring that consumers’ wellbeing and interests remain at the centre of competition law and policies. In today’s market characterised by rapid technological developments, we consider it important to strengthen the enforcement of competition law and review the tools authorities have at their disposal.
Our new position paper provides a list of our key recommendations for faster and more coherent antitrust enforcement with a stronger focus on consumers in competition policy.
Position paper
Available in
English
Currently, EU law insufficiently addresses unfair commercial practices in the digital realm. This means that policymakers should urgently update EU consumer law. BEUC believes the upcoming Digital Fairness Act is the key tool to make this change happen.
You will find all our recommendations for this important initiative in our new position paper.
You will find all our recommendations for this important initiative in our new position paper.