Press Release: Consumers: EU-wide complaints reporting to speed up policy response to failing markets

On 12 May 2010, the European Commission adopted a recommendation introducing an EU-wide method for classifying and reporting consumer complaints to be used by complaint bodies on a voluntary basis. The method is expected to deliver comparable complaints data that will provide crucial evidence as to which parts of the Internal Market are underperforming for EU consumers. This, in turn, will allow for a quicker and better targeted policy response at both national and EU level.

Consumer complaints are a key indicator of market health. There are more than 700 organisations handling consumer complaints in Europe. But they use different classifications. As a result, comparison and overview are not possible, even at the national level. To facilitate the adoption of the method, the Commission will provide technical assistance such as free software.

European Commission: 2010/304/EU: Commission Recommendation of 12 May 2010 on the use of a harmonised methodology for classifying and reporting consumer complaints and enquiries http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2010:136:0001:0031:EN:PDF

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