Consumer aspects connected with the introduction of the single currency were widely discussed and debated during 1997. In the opinion of the National Consumer Administration, the interests of consumers should be taken into consideration when deciding on the period for the parallel use of the Finnmark and the euro and related price marking. The National Consumer Administration decided in 1997 that, in future, the results of price comparisons and other price information would be presented both in Finnmarks and in euros. The magazine's circulation increased by 18 per cent. The National Consumer Administration has made efforts to improve the availability of basic information on consumers' rights and obligations in various situations.
All central information is published both in Finnish and Swedish.
The National Consumer Administration opened its own WWW sites and established 55 local information points in collaboration with municipalities. It also participated in eight exhibitions and in the production of two television series. In Finland, every municipality arranges consumer-counselling services for its inhabitants. The quality of these services varies. The National Consumer Administration financed an inquiry into the quality of these services.