Proposal for a better enforcement and modernisation of the EU consumer protection rules

Throughout the business-to-consumer commercial transaction, it is the consumer who is in a weaker position vis-à-vis the business. This is even more the case in the digital world, where consumers shop at a distance and increasingly rely on online platforms for the decision-making process. Many traders provide their products or services in exchange for consumer data. This reality should be reflected in the law, which should ensure transparency of online marketplaces, give enforceable rights to consumers, and provide dissuasive sanctions against rogue traders. Among the most important consumer rights is the right to return a product bought online if it doesn’t meet expectations. Consumers value the possibility to test a product in the same way they would do in a brick and mortar shop. It would undermine consumer trust in the digital single market and send a wrong signal to EU citizens if this important right were watered down.