ECC-Net Releases New Position and Research Papers
With real consumer feedback from all EU Member States, Norway and Iceland, the European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net) holds a unique overview of the everyday wins and challenges of EU consumer regulation. In the first half of 2023 the network published three papers that examine current consumer rights issues.
Geo-blocking
The EU geo-blocking ban prohibits the discrimination of consumers based on their nationality, place of residence of location. In a 2023 study, 25 ECCs revisit the conclusions of a 2019 study on geo-blocking executed by the network. The evaluation concludes that, unfortunately, no evolution is seen four years later. Consumers report similar barriers for shopping across borders. ECCs also note that although awareness has increased, consumers still misinterpret the exact scope and coverage of geo-blocking regulation. Those consumers who know about geo-blocking often incorrectly assume that the regulation means traders are obligated to deliver across borders. Consumers are disappointed when they learn this is not the case.
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
In order to inform other ECCs, national ADR competent authorities and the European Commission in light of the expected revision of European ADR legislation, eight ECCs were involved in a comparative study of ADR in the Nordic and Baltic countries. The study compares ADR procedures and working methods in in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden. It also compares the number and types of ADR bodies, number of complaints, accessibility for consumers, length of the consumer, costs and fees, compliance rates, communication and more.
Right to repair
The European Commission has recently put forward a new proposal aimed at promoting the repair of goods by introducing common rules that will make it easier for consumers to have their products repaired. In this new position paper, ECC-Net outlines some suggestions it would like to see included in the upcoming Directive. For example clear rules on the indicative timeframe for repairability, sufficient options to pick a repairer and attention to situations where repairing an older electronic device may not be a practical solution, as the product can no longer keep up with technological advancements such as software updates. The paper also identifies numerous national actions from across the EU that already encourage the repair of broken consumer goods.
Download publications
Download our newest publications or browse all resources on our publications page.