Redress and Enforcement
|
12 July 2021 Consumer groups file complaint against WhatsApp for unfairly pressuring users to accept its new policiesBEUC – The European Consumer Organisation, together with eight of its members,1 today filed a complaint (with the European Commission and the European network of consumer authorities) against WhatsApp for multiple breaches of EU consumer rights.2 For several months now, WhatsApp has been unduly pressuring its users to accept its new terms of use and privacy policy. Yet these terms are neither transparent nor comprehensible for users. |
27 January 2021 BEUC launches Europe-wide complaint against Nintendo for premature obsolescenceFollowing nearly 25,000 complaints from European consumers, BEUC and its members have submitted a complaint about Nintendo to the European Commission and national consumer protection authorities for systematic problems with the functionality of the Nintendo Switch console. |
13 November 2020 Consumer groups welcome new EU consumer policy strategy for the next five yearsToday the European Commission adopted the “Consumer Agenda”, its consumer policy strategy for the next five years. It lays down the Commission’s consumer policy objectives and will serve as guidance to include consumer interests in all policy areas. Focus areas are the green and digital transition as well as the post-COVID economic recovery. |
Our work areas
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
Our objectives
- 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
