Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-12-13-Speech-2-409"
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"en.20051213.63.2-409"2
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"Madam President, Commissioner, I was very pleased to be rapporteur for this report. Consumer protection and consumer policy in general are important issues, and I am also pleased that the European Parliament is involved in putting them high on the political agenda. A large proportion of the work that goes on in the EU at the moment is of course about getting the internal market to operate more smoothly when it comes to both goods and services. It is ultimately for consumers that companies produce goods and services, so it is quite crucial to competition in the internal market that consumers make demands of such goods and services. In order for them to do so, it is essential, firstly, that consumers know what demands they can make of companies and that they be used to being percipient and critical when they shop. Secondly, it is important for consumers to have the right channels available to them for making these demands.
In this connection, it is crucial that we turn our attention to the new Member States. Just as there are big differences from one old Member State to another, we cannot, of course, lump the ten new Member States together. There is, however, no doubt that what might be called consumer culture tends generally to be weaker in many of the new Member States than in many of the old ones.
Consumers are often not especially demanding with regard to the quality of the products and services they buy, and institutionalised procedures for complaining about defects in, or problems with, products or services either do not exist or exist to only a limited degree. If we are to change this situation, it is essential that we try to strengthen consumer culture. There are several places where intervention is possible. I believe that one of the most important things to do is to direct our attention to the consumer organisations.
In many of the old Member States, independent consumer organisations play a central role in placing consumer issues on the political agenda and in helping and representing consumers in disputes with businesses. The consumer organisations are, unfortunately, often very weak in the new Member States, and they therefore rarely constitute the necessary counterbalance to businesses and governments. One major problem in this context is the consumer organisations’ lack of financial resources. Only in a few countries does the ministry responsible make resources available and, in those cases in which financial resources do exist, the amounts are often very small. Over and above government funding, another possibility is EU funding for projects through the Commission. The conditions for winning a tender or obtaining support from the Commission are, however, very strict and, at least in a number of cases, it is difficult for the consumer organisations to meet the Commission’s requirements.
A second problem is that the political influence of consumer organisations is often quite limited. This can be explained in a number of ways. Firstly, many organisations have difficulty securing enough support from the public, due both to their weak economic situation and to the public’s relatively low awareness of consumer issues. Secondly, there are often not very many formal channels through which the NGOs can influence the political decision-making process. Moreover, there are great differences as to how consumer organisations in the new Member States are structured. Often, there exist many small consumer organisations, competing against each other instead of pulling together. It is very difficult for the organisations to convey their views with sufficient force in the decision-making process and, thus, in the public debate.
Moreover, there is the problem that most consumer organisation employees work as volunteers. Undoubtedly, they are enthusiastic, but they are difficult to hold onto in the long term. These are problems that we must sort out if the internal market and consumer protection are to operate at their best. Responsibility for solving these problems is not located unambiguously in the one place. The governments of the new Member States have a responsibility for taking consumer issues far more seriously than they do at present and, at the same time, for providing the necessary support to consumer organisations. It should be understood, however, that a high level of consumer protection and an efficient market economy are not mutually exclusive but are, on the contrary, dependent on one another.
At the same time, the Commission and the other EU Member States have an outright political responsibility for giving priority to these issues, especially in the new Member States. It is a responsibility for taking the lead and ensuring that consumers become more aware of their rights and role as consumers in the internal market. Last but not least, the consumer organisations in the new Member States also have a responsibility themselves. I would therefore hope that we might have a constructive debate on the report. I think that we have a good opportunity for strengthening the consumer organisations in the new Member States."@en1
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