Annexes to COM(2011)707 - Consumer programme 2014-2020

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dossier COM(2011)707 - Consumer programme 2014-2020.
document COM(2011)707 EN
date February 26, 2014
ANNEX I

TYPES OF ACTIONS

Objective I

Safety: to consolidate and enhance product safety through effective market surveillance throughout the Union

1.Scientific advice and risk analysis relevant to consumer health and safety regarding non-food products and services including support for the tasks of the independent scientific committees established by Decision 2008/721/EC.

2.Coordination of market surveillance and enforcement actions on product safety with regard to Directive 2001/95/EC, and actions to improve consumer services safety:

(a)development, modernisation and maintenance of IT tools (such as databases, information and communication systems) in particular so that the efficiency of existing systems can be improved by increasing the potential for data export, statistical sorting and extraction, and facilitating the electronic exchange and use of data between Member States;

(b)organisation of seminars, conferences, workshops and meetings of stakeholders and experts on risks and enforcement in the area of product safety;

(c)exchanges of enforcement officials and training focusing on integrating a risk-based approach;

(d)specific joint cooperation actions in the area of the safety of non-food consumer products and services, under Directive 2001/95/EC;

(e)monitoring and assessment of the safety of non-food products and services, including the knowledge base for further standards or the establishment of other safety benchmarks, and clarification of the traceability requirements;

(f)administrative, enforcement and product traceability cooperation, and development of preventive actions, with third countries other than the ones falling under Article 7 of this Regulation, including with those third countries which are the source of the majority of products notified in the Union for non-conformity with Union legislation;

(g)support to bodies recognised by Union legislation for the coordination of enforcement actions between Member States.

3.Maintenance and further development of databases on cosmetics:

(a)maintenance of the Cosmetic Products notification Portal set up under Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1);

(b)maintenance of the database on cosmetics ingredients to support the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009.

Objective II

Consumer information and education, and support to consumer organisations: to improve consumers’ education, information and awareness of their rights, to develop the evidence base for consumer policy and to provide support to consumer organisations, including taking into account the specific needs of vulnerable consumers

4.Building and improving access to the evidence base for policy-making in areas affecting consumers, for designing smart and targeted regulations and for detecting any market malfunctioning or changes in consumers’ needs, providing a basis for the development of consumer policy, for the identification of the areas most problematic for consumers and for the integration of consumer interests into other Union policies, including:

(a)Union-wide studies and analysis on consumers and consumer markets in order to design smart and targeted regulations, to detect any market malfunctioning or changes in consumers’ needs;

(b)development and maintenance of databases, in particular to make the data collected available to stakeholders such as consumer organisations, national authorities and researchers;

(c)development and analysis of national statistical and other relevant evidence. Collection, in particular, of national data and indicators on prices, complaints, enforcement, redress will be developed in collaboration with national stakeholders.

5.Support through financing of Union-level consumer organisations and through capacity building for consumer organisations at Union, national and regional level, increasing transparency and stepping up exchanges of best practices and expertise:

(a)financial contributions to the functioning of Union-level consumer organisations representing consumer interests in accordance with Article 5(1) of this Regulation;

(b)capacity building for regional, national and European consumer organisations, notably through training available in various languages and throughout the Union and exchange of best practices and expertise for staff members, in particular for consumer organisations in Member States where they are not sufficiently developed or which demonstrate a relatively low level of consumer confidence and awareness as evidenced by monitoring of consumer markets and the consumer environment in the Member States;

(c)greater transparency and more exchanges of good practice and expertise, in particular through enhanced networking, assisted by the setting up of an online portal for consumer organisations to provide an interactive exchange and networking area and make materials produced during training courses freely available;

(d)support to international bodies promoting principles and policies which are consistent with the objectives of the Programme.

6.Enhancing the transparency of consumer markets and consumer information, ensuring consumers have comparable, reliable and easily accessible data, including for cross-border cases, to help them compare not only prices, but also quality and sustainability of goods and services:

(a)awareness-raising campaigns on issues affecting consumers, including through joint actions with Member States;

(b)actions enhancing the transparency of consumers markets with regard to, for instance, retail financial products, energy, digital and telecommunications, transport;

(c)actions facilitating consumers’ access to relevant, comparable, reliable and easily accessible information on goods, services and markets, particularly on prices, quality and sustainability of goods and services, whether this be offline or online, for instance through comparison websites and actions ensuring the high quality and trustworthiness of such websites, including for cross-border purchases;

(d)actions enhancing consumers’ access to information on sustainable consumption of goods and services;

(e)support to events concerning consumer policy of the Union which are organised by the Member State holding the Presidency of Council configurations, other than that of Foreign Affairs on issues in line with established Union policy priorities;

(f)financial contributions to national complaint bodies to assist with the use of a harmonised methodology for classifying and reporting consumer complaints and enquiries;

(g)support to Union-wide bodies for the development of codes of conduct, best practices and guidelines for price, quality, and sustainability comparison, including through comparison websites;

(h)support for communication on consumer issues, including by encouraging the dissemination by the media of correct and relevant information on consumer issues.

7.Enhancing consumer education as a life-long process with a particular focus on vulnerable consumers:

(a)development of an interactive platform for exchange of best practices and materials for lifelong consumer education with a particular focus on vulnerable consumers that have difficulties in accessing and comprehending consumer information, in order to ensure that they are not misled;

(b)development of education measures and materials in collaboration with stakeholders such as national authorities, teachers, consumer organisations and those active at grass-roots level, in particular by making use (e.g. collection, compilation, translation and diffusion) of materials produced at national level or for previous initiatives, on various media including digital, on e.g. consumer rights including cross-border issues, health and safety, Union consumer legislation, sustainable and ethical consumption including Union certification schemes, financial and media literacy.

Objective III

Rights and redress: to develop and reinforce consumer rights in particular through smart regulatory action and improving access to simple, efficient, expedient and low-cost redress including alternative dispute resolution

8.Preparation by the Commission of consumer protection legislation and other regulatory initiatives, monitoring the transposition by Member States and the subsequent evaluation of its impact, and the promotion of co-regulatory and self-regulatory initiatives and monitoring the real impact of those initiatives on consumer markets, including:

(a)studies and smart regulation activities such as ex-ante and ex-post evaluations, impact assessments, public consultations, evaluation and simplification of existing legislation;

(b)seminars, conferences, workshops and meetings of stakeholders and experts;

(c)development and maintenance of easily and publicly accessible databases covering the implementation of Union legislation on consumer protection;

(d)evaluation of actions undertaken under the Programme.

9.Facilitating access to dispute resolution mechanisms for consumers, in particular to alternative dispute resolution schemes, including through a Union-wide online system and the networking of national alternative dispute resolution entities, paying specific attention to adequate measures for vulnerable consumers’ needs and rights; monitoring of the functioning and the effectiveness of dispute resolution mechanisms for consumers, including through the development and maintenance of relevant IT tools and the exchange of current best practices and experience in the Member States:

(a)development and maintenance of IT tools;

(b)support for the development of a Union-wide online dispute resolution system and its maintenance, including for associated services such as translation;

(c)support for networking of national alternative dispute resolution entities, and for their exchanging and disseminating good practice and experiences;

(d)development of specific tools to facilitate access to redress for vulnerable people who are less inclined to seek redress.

Objective IV

Enforcement: to support enforcement of consumer rights by strengthening cooperation between national enforcement bodies and by supporting consumers with advice

10.Coordination of surveillance and enforcement actions with regard to Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004, including:

(a)development and maintenance of IT tools, such as databases, information and communication systems;

(b)actions to improve cooperation between authorities as well as coordination of monitoring and enforcement such as exchanges of enforcement officials, common activities, trainings for enforcement officials and for members of the judiciary;

(c)organisation of seminars, conferences, workshops and meetings of stakeholders and experts on enforcement;

(d)administrative and enforcement cooperation with third countries which are not participating in the Programme and with international organisations.

11.Financial contributions for joint actions with public or non-profit bodies constituting Union networks which provide information and assistance to consumers to help them exercise their rights and obtain access to appropriate dispute resolution, including out of court online resolution schemes (European Consumer Centres Network), also covering:

(a)the development and maintenance of IT tools, such as databases, information and communication systems, necessary for the proper functioning of the European Consumer Centres Network;

(b)actions to raise the profile and visibility of European Consumer Centres.


(1) Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on cosmetic products (OJ L 342, 22.12.2009, p. 59).


ANNEX II

INDICATORS IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 3 OF THIS REGULATION

Objective I

Safety: to consolidate and enhance product safety through effective market surveillance throughout the Union

IndicatorSourceCurrent situationTarget
% of RAPEX notifications entailing at least one reaction (by other Member States)RAPEX43 % (843 notifications) in 2010Increase of 10 % by 2020
Ratio number of reactions/number of notifications (serious risks) (1)RAPEX1,07 in 2010Increase of 15 % by 2020

Objective II

Consumer information and education, and support to consumer organisations: to improve consumers’ education, information and awareness of their rights, to develop the evidence base for consumer policy and to provide support to consumer organisations, including taking into account the specific needs of vulnerable consumers

IndicatorSourceCurrent situationTarget
Number of complaint bodies and number of countries submitting complaints to the ECCRSECCRS (European Consumer Complaints Registration system)33 complaint bodies from 7 countries in 201270 complaint bodies from 20 countries by 2020

Objective III

Rights and redress: to develop and reinforce consumer rights in particular through smart regulatory action and improving access to simple, efficient, expedient and low-cost redress including alternative dispute resolution

IndicatorSourceCurrent situationTarget
% of those cases dealt with by the ECCs and not resolved directly with traders which were subsequently referred to alternative dispute resolution (ADR)Annual ECC report9 % in 201075 % by 2020
Number of cases dealt with by a Union-wide online dispute resolution (ODR) systemODR platform17 500 (complaints received by ECCs related to e-commerce transactions) in 2010100 000 by 2020
% of consumers who took action in response to a problem encountered in the past 12 monthsConsumer Scoreboard83 % in 201090 % by 2020

Objective IV

Enforcement: to support enforcement of consumer rights by strengthening cooperation between national enforcement bodies and by supporting consumers with advice

IndicatorSourceCurrent situationTarget
Level of information flow and cooperation within the CPC Network:CPC Network Database (CPCS)annualised averages 2007-10
—number of requests to exchange information between CPC authorities
129
—increase of 30 % by 2020
—number of requests for enforcement measures between CPC authorities
142
—increase of 30 % by 2020
—number of alerts within the CPC Network
63
—increase of 30 % by 2020
% of enforcement requests handled within 12 months within the CPC NetworkCPC Network Database (CPCS)50 % (reference period 2007-10)60 % by 2020
% of information requests handled within 3 months within the CPC NetworkCPC Network Database (CPCS)33 % (reference period 2007-10)50 % by 2020
Number of contacts with consumers handled by the European Consumer Centres (ECC)ECC report71 000 in 2010Increase of 50 % by 2020
Number of visits to the websites of the ECCsECC-Net Evaluation Report1 670 000 in 2011Increase of 70 % by 2020

These indicators might be considered in conjunction with general context and horizontal indicators.


(1) a notification can trigger several reactions from authorities of other Member States