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? As a consumer within the European Union, do you know what you are entitled to?

The European Union's ultimate objective is to have a network of European Consumer Centres (ECCNet) all over Europe , that is, at least one 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 General 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. What can be done about it? Going back to Italy to have the watch seen to, since it is still under guarantee, is not a practical option. This can be very frustrating. However, thanks to the fact that Malta has set up an ECC and joined the Network, the complaint can be dealt with by this Centre. Subsequently, Malta 's ECC will refer the relevant complaint to the ECC in Italy , who will then contact the respective trader in that country. One must keep in mind that buying fake objects from street vendors is illegal and therefore carries no responsibilities.

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 applying national legislation, 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 have still not been set up in Malta . However, these are substituted, to a certain extent, by the Consumer Claims Tribunal, once both parties are still in Malta since they will have to appear before the Arbiter. This encourages consumers to be more pro-active, since this will help them should their complaint fail to reach an amicable settlement.

Moreover, the Network between all European Consumer Centres makes it possible for consumers across borders to compare prices, legislation, and other issues of consumer concern. This Network is there to help consumers from all over Europe find a solution to their problems and queries, no matter what language they speak.