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About Us |
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Who can you turn to if you have a problem with a product you bought from another European country?
If you have a complaint against a trader in another Member State, who can assist you and help solve your case?
Who can inform you of your rights, and what you are entitled to as a consumer within the European Union?
The European Union’s ultimate objective is to have a network including at least one European Consumer Centre (ECC) in every EU Member State. ECC’s are there to help with such questions and any other problems consumers may have regarding consumer activities in all European countries. The objective is to achieve a situation wherein consumers feel as confident when shopping in another EU Member State as they do when shopping in their home country.
Consumers who live in European Union Member States enjoy excellent consumer protection when they encounter cross-border problems. That is when a consumer has a problem with a product bought in another Member State rather than from his or her resident state. To this effect, the ECC Network constitutes a very important link between the Directorate responsible for Consumers and Health Protection within the EU Commission and European Consumers.
As an example, let us consider a case involving a Maltese consumer who bought a watch while on holiday in Italy. Two months after returning home, the watch stopped. In such situations it can be very annoying for the consumer. What can be done about it? Going back to Italy to have the watch seen to, is not a practical option. This can be very frustrating particularly while bearing in mind that the watch is still under guarantee. However although the watch was bought in another EU Member State, thanks to the fact that as an EU member country Malta has set up an ECC, the complaint can be referred to Malta’s ECC. Subsequently, Malta’s ECC will refer the relevant complaint to the ECC in Italy, who will in turn contact the respective trader in that country.
Initially, the ECC’s main objectives were concentrated on a “prevention is better than cure” basis, by obtaining and circulating useful information, thus educating and helping consumers to make the right choices. In cases dealing with complaints, ECC’s help consumers with a view to negotiating an out-of-court-settlement with the respective traders. In such cases national legislation is applied and mediation is carried out in an effort to reach an amicable settlement.
Eventually, the ECC’s priorities included the possibility of the resolution of disputes through ADR’s, which are represented in Malta by the Consumer Claims Tribunal. This encourages consumers to be more pro-active, since this will help them should their complaint fail to reach an amicable settlement.
Moreover ECC’s make it possible for consumers across borders to compare prices, legislation, and other issues of consumer concern. In a nutshell, ECC’s are there to help consumers from all over Europe, no matter what language they speak. Fundamental objectives of ECCAccording to the priorities as they are established in the policy of the consumer from the European Committee, the fundamental objective of the ECC is to educate and inform the European consumers, so they can completely exploit the possibilities offered by the Internal Market, without putting in danger their health, safety and financial interests.
More specifically, the objectives of the ECC are the following: It consults all consumers that face problems with their cross-border transactions and supports them in their claim of demands, proceeding in friendly settlements.
• It collaborates closely with other European Networks like the European Judicial Network (EEJ-Net), the European Judicial Network for Financier Services (Fin-Net) as well as with the General Management of Health and Protection of Consumer (DG SANCO).
• It provides information on the Community and national legislation and case law.
• It proceeds in cross-border comparisons in subjects that concern the consumers.
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