Press Release: Commissioner Kuneva celebrates World Consumer Day

The European Commissioner for Consumer Affairs, Meglena Kuneva, marked World Consumer Day on 15 March 2007 in Berlin, with an appeal for a free and informed debate on consumer rights in the digital world. She said that this debate would touch on fundamental rights at the heart of consumer policy and that it was too important to be left to discussions behind closed doors. The Commissioner attended the German Presidency conference on "Challenges and opportunities in a digitalised world". A major consultation to modernise core EU consumer protection laws is a central element of the new EU consumer policy strategy for 2007-2013, adopted on 13 March 2007. The new EU consumer strategy will strive to empower Europe's consumers, by creating the right market conditions for them to be able to make informed, considered and rational choices; to enhance the economic and non-economic welfare of Europe's consumers, in terms of price, choice, quality and affordability; and to protect consumers from market failures effectively. World Consumer Day was also marked by an extensive programme of activities and events organised by the network of the Commission-sponsored "European Consumer Centres" (ECCs) across Europe.

European Commission: DG Communication: SPEECH/07/148 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/07/148&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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