The advertising of prescription drugs is prohibited. European Medicines Evaluation Agency Set up in 1993 following pressure from Parliament, this Agency handles the centralised and decentralised procedures for market authorisation of pharmaceutical products, the centralised procedure being mandatory in the case of biotechnology products. Protection measures for consumers cover contracts negotiated at a distance by new selling techniques via the press and post, television and home computer, fax and telephone. In February 1998 the Commission published its 10th survey of differentials between new car prices in 12 Member States. Exclusive distribution agreements are contrary to the provisions of the internal market and in January 1998, the Commission fined Volkswagen 102 MECU for systematically preventing its Italian dealers from selling VW and Audi cars to non-Italian clients.
Additional proposals standardize credit cost calculation methods.
A code of conduct has been drawn up relating to electronic payment and relations between financial institutions, traders, service establishments and consumers. Following the banks' agreement to harmonise transfrontier electronic payment systems, the Commission set down criteria under which banks should provide written information to the client about charges, cease double charging for transfers, and execute the transfers within a reasonable time period. Certain advertising criteria are stipulated, and compensation in kind for changes or cancellations must be provided. Given the common practice by airlines of overbooking flights, rules have been established for a denied-boarding compensation scheme, including the obligation to transport the ticket holder to his final destination. The amounts of compensation have recently been increased.