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BEUC welcomes the EU court's decision to uphold Amazon's designation as a Very Large Online Platform

BEUC welcomes today’s General Court's ruling upholding the designation of Amazon as a ‘Very Large Online Platform’ (VLOP) under the Digital Services...

Online platforms
Press release
21 airlines commit to stop greenwashing following a BEUC complaint

Following a complaint by BEUC, the European Consumer Organisation, 21 major airlines have committed to stop using claims that mislead consumers about...

Enforcement
Press release
Airlines greenwashing still rife despite improvements

Two years after BEUC denounced airlines’ widespread greenwashing to EU authorities, the situation has improved but more still needs to be done. As the...

Unfair commercial practices Transport and passenger rights
Press release
Consumer groups file complaint against SHEIN for dark patterns fuelling over-consumption

BEUC – together with 25 members from 21 countries – filed a complaint today with the European Commission and European consumer protection authorities...

Unfair commercial practices Enforcement
Press release
EU consumer groups denounce seven airlines charging hand baggage

Today, BEUC and 16 member organisations from 12 countries filed a complaint to the European Commission and the Consumer Protection authorities’...

Enforcement Transport and passenger rights
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Alternative Dispute Resolution
Collective redress
Consumer Justice Enforcement Forum (CoJEF)
Enforcement
Five years after Dieselgate scandal, Volkswagen still failing to compensate European consumers
Press release
Five years after Dieselgate scandal, Volkswagen still failing to compensate European consumers
- PDF Document - 88.51 KB

Collective redress
Sustainable mobility
Available in English
A report from The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) released five years after the Dieselgate scandal finds that VW is continuing its stalling tactics, exploiting legal loopholes and taking advantage of the uneven access to justice of European consumers. In short, the report confirms that VW is doing everything to avoid compensation payments to EU consumers – while paying out $9.5 billion in compensation to defrauded US car owners just months after the scandal broke. It also highlights that Europe’s legal systems lack the necessary tools to tackle mass claims.
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COVID-19 - implications for consumers and BEUC recommendations for policy responses
Letter
COVID-19 - implications for consumers and BEUC recommendations for policy responses
- PDF Document - 369.11 KB

Access to medicines
Banking and payment services
Collective redress
Consumers and trade
Energy consumer rights
Energy markets
Enforcement
EU competition policy
Food safety
Investor protection
Medical devices
Online platforms
Privacy and personal data protection
Product safety
Sustainable mobility
Telecommunications
Transparency & governance
Transport and passenger rights
Unfair commercial practices
Available in English
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Settlement reached: Volkswagen to compensate consumers in Germany affected by Dieselgate
Press release
Settlement reached: Volkswagen to compensate consumers in Germany affected by Dieselgate
- PDF Document - 109.32 KB

Collective redress
Sustainable mobility
Available in English
German consumer group Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband (vzbv) and Volkswagen (VW) have reached an out-of-court settlement to compensate drivers affected by the 2015 Dieselgate emissions scandal. This is the result of a model case (“Musterfeststellungsklage”) launched by vzbv against the car maker on behalf of more than 400,000 consumers.
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European enforcement of consumer law enters new era
Press release
European enforcement of consumer law enters new era
- PDF Document - 92.56 KB

Enforcement
Available in English
New rules become applicable across the EU on Friday 17 January which will give national authorities more teeth to go after companies which break consumer law across national borders and to act jointly, and thus more efficiently, in case of infringements in several countries.
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Besides our efforts to improve laws, their enforcement and providing redress when they are breached are also focal points of our work. National enforcement authorities need adequate powers to investigate and stop infringements, while they should cooperate among themselves and with consumer associations to ensure coherent enforcement of consumer rights throughout the EU.

If consumers are harmed, various redress tools, including independent Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and effective Collective Redress procedures, should be available for consumers to obtain the compensation to which they are entitled. Our work has recently expanded to cover EU competition policy where the EU can take action against monopolies in the market which harm consumer choice

  • Collective Redress procedures have to be available and efficient in all Member States
  • Consumers being able to rely on independent ADR bodies, available in all sectors with common adherence of business
  • Enforcement stepped up throughout the EU
  • Encouraging the EU to continue to be a strong player in competition policy