Council Resolution of 2 December 2002 on Community consumer policy strategy 2002-2006
Date: 2002-12-02
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU policy, action programme, consumer information, consumer movement, consumer policy, consumer protection

17.1.2003

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 11/1

I

(Information)

COUNCIL

COUNCIL RESOLUTION

of 2 December 2002

on Community consumer policy strategy 2002-2006

(2003/C 11/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

RECALLING THAT:

between

consumer

business
balance
considerations. The
and
business may be strengthened through better use of other
forms of regulation, for example co-regulation and self-regu-
lation, where appropriate.

responsibility of

consumers

interests

and

1. The Community consumer policy, in order to ensure a high
level of consumer protection and to promote the interests
of consumers, shall contribute to protecting the health,
safety and economic interests of consumers as well as to
promoting their right
to information, education and to
organise themselves in order to safeguard their interests.

6. The enlargement of the EU will have an important impact
on the functioning of the internal market, including in the
area of consumer policy. Consumers, their representatives
and national authorities from candidate countries should be
helped to prepare for accession.

2. The condition for a coherent Community consumer policy
strategy is that consumer interests are integrated in defining
and implementing other Community policy areas in order
to strengthen consumer confidence, growth and welfare
within the Community. The
integration of consumer
interests into other policies is a collective endeavour of all
EU institutions and Member States.

3. Consumers together with business are key players in the
internal market. A well-functioning
internal market
trans-
promoting consumer confidence in cross-border
actions will have a positive impact on competition to the
benefit of consumers.

I. WELCOMES the Commission consumer policy strategy

2002-2006 (1), the objectives expressed therein:

— Objective 1: a high common level of

consumer

protection,

— Objective 2:

effective

enforcement

of

consumer

protection rules;

— Objective 3: proper involvement of consumer organi-
in Community policies, and the follow-up

sations
actions proposed therein.

4. A targeted consumer policy with a solid evidence base
should ensure that policy initiatives are in accordance
with the needs of the consumers and the development on
the market generally and aim at a balance between these
interests and those of business. A goal-oriented consumer
policy implies a development of the cooperation between
the Commission and the Member States on a strategic and
analytical approach to consumer policy.

II. CALLS UPON THE COMMISSION to implement its strategy
with its three policy objectives and to put a specific
emphasis on the following issues:

1. to prioritise a high level of consumer protection also in

other Community policies and activities,

5. Community legislation should ensure a high level of
consumer protection. Besides Community legislation,
in
order to enhance the advantages of the internal market
and for strengthening safe trading across national borders,
it is necessary that business and where possible consumers
together contribute to securing confidence in products and
services.
In order to realise this objective, organisations
should be encouraged to enter into a dialogue and take
appropriate measures in order to establish the necessary

2. to take into consideration consumers'

in
services of general
to take note in this
context of its Communication of 18 June 2002 on
the horizontal
services of general
economic interest (2),
in accordance with the relevant
conclusions of the European Council,

evaluation of

interests

interest;

(1) Doc. 8907/02.
(2) Doc. 10387/02.

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3. to consider as priorities for its work the development of
guidance and appropriate standards under the general
product safety Directive, the presentation of an analysis
of the options for addressing the safety of services and
the development of sectoral Community legislation
concerning safety aspects,
such as new legislation
concerning chemicals,

4.

in the light of its follow-up to the Green Paper on EU
consumer protection to take steps in view of possible
actions, while taking into account the results of the
consultation process,

5. to continue its review of
legislation and

consumer
implementation of existing directives,

the existing Community
on the
its

reporting

6. to present the appropriate proposals to complete the

internal market for financial services,

7.

in line with the eEurope 2005 Action Plan:

— to continue its work on initiatives in order to
promote security, good practices and awareness of
security risks in all users, and report on progress by
the end of 2003, and

— to continue its work and take steps towards actions
in order to increase consumer confidence in cross-
border transactions including electronic payments
in the internal market,

8. to present the results of the work on follow-up of the

Communication on European contract law (1);

9. to promote consumer interests in international bilateral

and multilateral trade relations.

III. CALLS UPON THE COMMISSION AND THE MEMBER STATES:

the
cooperation

10. to examine the existing enforcement systems in the
Member States and, taking those results into account,
strengthening
to
possibilities
examine
enforcement
the
between
enforcement authorities and the Commission within
It welcomes the
the areas covered by the strategy.
in
Commission's
order
consumer
strengthen
protection between Member States,

intention to present a proposal

cooperation

of
and

on

by

to

12. to continue discussions on and investigate the possi-
bilities to develop a common approach and objectives
for consumer statistics and other data which can form
an evidence base for a strategic, goal-oriented approach
to consumer policy and other policy areas for the
benefit of
entire
Community,

the policy development

in the

13. to ensure that the proposal for a future legal act for
Community activities in favour of consumers reflects
and supports the objectives outlined in the Commission
strategy,

they can independently promote

14. to support representative consumer organisations so
consumers'
that
interests at Community as well as national
level and
enable them to exert influence, enter, for example, into
a balanced dialogue with business and participate in
Community policy making. The development of
to strengthen
capacity-building projects
consumer organisations where appropriate as well as
education tools on specific aspects of cross-border
transactions would be key to this end,

in order

15. among other tools, to encourage the development of
dialogue between consumer organisations and business
to enable them i.e. to participate in the work with the
preparation of other means of regulation, particularly
self-regulation and co-regulation,

16. to ensure the representation of consumer interests in
the standardisation work in relevant areas, both at
European and national
influence
should also be encouraged in international standard-
isation, in particular through national standard bodies
where appropriate,

level. Consumer

17. to generally consult with the consumer organisations in
legislation and

connection with the formulation of
policy in all relevant policy areas.

IV. CALLS UPON THE MEMBER STATES to ensure that

the
objectives of
the consumer policy strategy are, where
relevant, also taken into account in the national policies.

a

review of

V. INVITES the Commission to present to the Council every 18
strategy
the
the
including an
the
effects
of
the
in support of

months
2002-2006 based on a
short-term rolling programme of actions
assessment
Community and national activities
objectives of the strategy.

consumer policy
constant monitoring of

evaluation

and

the

of

11. without prejudice to consumers' option for seeking
to promote and support alternative
judicial redress,
for
dispute
borders,
consumers
including the consolidation of
the European Extra-
Judicial Network, in the light of the report which the
Commission will present in 2003,

resolution mechanisms
resolve

facilitate

disputes

across

to

to

(1) Doc. 10996/01.