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How to protect consumers through (yet) another fossil fuel crisis

The war in the Middle East has triggered another energy shock, with consumers having to pay the price (yet) again. BEUC (The European Consumer...

Energy markets Energy consumer rights Sustainable mobility Renewable energy
Press releases
EU must make electric mobility more accessible to consumers

The European Commission today published its Automotive Package which will revise the car CO2 emissions target along with setting new electrification...

Sustainable mobility
Press releases
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
News
High-speed rail action plan could be just the ticket for consumers

The European Commission today published its High-Speed Rail Action Plan, to get Europe’s railways back on track and make sustainable travel a more...

Sustainable mobility
News
Cheaper but hard to find: new report shows unequal access to ecolabelled products in Europe

Buying ecolabelled products is convenient, but not everyone has the same access to them, shows a new report published today by The European Consumer...

EU Ecolabel
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Ecodesign & Energy label
EU Ecolabel
European Green Deal
Sustainable mobility
containers with European Union flag and Chinese flag at the docks
Press releases
EU tariffs on Chinese electric cars must ultimately lead to more competitive and affordable market for consumers
- PDF Document - 77.65 KB

Sustainable mobility
Competition and sustainability
Customs
Available in English
Today the European Commission has imposed tariffs of up to 38% on imports of Chinese electric vehicles into the EU. For the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC), this move is part of a legitimate bid to rebalance competition in the EU electric car market. It must now be complemented by action at EU and national level to ensure consumers have access to affordable and innovative electric cars.
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Railway to (consumer) heaven: executive summary
Position papers
Railway to (consumer) heaven: Executive summary
- PDF Document - 596.28 KB

Sustainable mobility
Available in English
This report is intended to inspire the next Commission mandate and give policymakers ideas on how to attract more consumers to rail. It provides concrete recommendations, from quick fixes to long term reflections, based on evidence gathered between 2023 and 2024 by eleven of our member organisations across the EU.
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logo VW on a wheel
Press releases
Dieselgate: Volkswagen agrees to compensate Italian consumers
- PDF Document - 105.66 KB

Sustainable mobility
Enforcement
Available in English
Italian owners of Volkswagen cars fitted with defeat devices will finally get compensation. This is the outcome of a settlement agreed between BEUC’s Italian member Altroconsumo and Volkswagen, in the Italian Dieselgate case initiated in 2015. Volkswagen agreed to compensate 60,000 consumers for a total amount of €50 million.
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Consumers are increasingly willing to buy sustainable products, especially energy-efficient ones, in order to minimise their impact on the environment. All too often though, confusing information and a great variety of industry claims make this difficult. What makes it even more complicated is the lack of enough sustainable products in EU shops and that they are barely identifiable.

  • Improve the sustainability of products by reducing their impact on the environment
  • Give consumers the possibility to make informed and sustainable choices between different products using independent and verified labels (such as the Ecolabel). Unsustainable products to be taken off the market
  • Reduce the carbon footprint of transport in Europe while ensuring consumers benefit from improved information and cost reductions