BEUC NEWS - 20 November 2025

Yesterday, the European Commission unveiled its Consumer Agenda, a roadmap shaping EU consumer policy for the next five years. It will serve as guidance for policymakers to include consumer interests in all policy areas.

In the past years, consumers have faced many new challenges arising from a global pandemic, the war in Ukraine and a persistent cost-of-living crisis affecting their purchasing power and market behaviours. This means that their expectations towards legislators have also evolved and so have their needs.  

So, what is new?  

This edition is set as a “new impulse for consumer protection, competitiveness, and sustainable growth”. It focuses on four priorities to keep up with an ever-changing landscape:  

• Increasing consumers’ freedom to shop, travel, and manage money across the bloc without obstacles.
• Making the internet safer and fairer.
• Promoting sustainable consumption.
• Keep improving the enforcement of consumer rights and access to redress. 

What does it mean concretely for consumers?  

The Commission will aim to protect more vulnerable consumers by tackling the impact of rising food, housing, and energy prices.  

The new Consumer Agenda includes several flagship initiatives that should contribute to increase consumer protection and improve consumer conditions in the single market:  

• The upcoming Digital Fairness Act is set to improve consumer protection online against unfair practices like dark patterns or addictive design.
• The Commission is taking a strong stance on unsafe products and the new challenges posed by the rise of e-commerce through the reform of the Market Surveillance Regulation in the announced European Product Act.  
• The Commission will seek to improve consumer protections enforcement to ensure it delivers for consumers on the ground regardless of where they are in the EU, through the upcoming revision of the Consumer Protection Cooperation regulation.

The Commission also announced they will continue to support a strong consumer movement across Europe. 

What do consumer groups think of the new Consumer Agenda?  

The EU has rightly set the bar high with its new Consumer Agenda. Consumers’ concerns and expectations need to be central to any policy plan to raise the trust levels in the market, create incentives to increase product quality, empower consumers with information, more choice, and encourage innovation and a more sustainable economy.

Europe can be proud of its consumer protection standards. To maintain them, simplification efforts shouldn't come at the expense of consumers. This is why we advise utmost caution when looking at simplifying laws that unify the Single Market and make it functioning for both businesses and consumers.