European Consumer Day 2019

“European Consumer Union”: New EU consumer organization officially presented at the EU Parliament

Press release

Bruxelles, 15 March 2019

“European Consumer Union”, the new EU umbrella consumer association, was officially presented in Brussels to the EU Institutions (EU Commission, members of the European parliament and of the European Economic Social Committee) and other relevant stakeholders.

The launch event took place last 5^th of March at the EU Parliament in the conference entitled “Towards EU election: Strengthening the European Union for a more effective consumer protection,” hosted by Italian MEP Viotti, S&D.

The promoters of the new-born association “European Consumer Union” (ECU) are the Italian associations Federconsumatori and Cittadinanzattiva. ECU is composed of 22 Consumer Associations coming from 16 EU Member States plus 1 extra EU Member, as ratified during the ECU’s General Assembly last October 2018 in Paris, in which the European Commission-DG Consumers took part.

The Croatian member is represented by Razvojna Organizacija Zastite Potrosaca (ROZP).

The “European Consumer Union” is the result of a growing civic awareness that, on the consumers’ side, has not yet found suitable representation at the European level: a civic awareness that, in the context of the New Deal for Consumers, aims to strengthen the protection of vulnerable people, to avoid the divide between first-class and second-class citizens having access to goods and public services, and to reduce those extremely marked inequalities that still exist not only among consumers of different EU member states but also within each single country.

An awareness that finds in a more cohesive and united Europe a suitable context to cooperate so that, in the policy-making process, greater emphasis will be placed on citizens’ perspectives, demonstrating that the Union and its institutions actually care for the protection of citizens’ general interests.

“The protest for a more careful Europe which takes into consideration the daily demands and the concrete needs of the people has been rising across the continent, where people are asking for a less financial economy and a more ‘real’ economy. In the context of consumers’ policies, which are now almost completely in the hands of the EU, this legitimate request is supported and promoted by the “European Consumer Union”, which is committed to represent the needs and demands of European citizens in a constructive manner to public and private stakeholders,” appointed ECU President Sergio Veroli.

The European Consumers Union (ECU) is a European consumer organisation which complies with all of the conditions established by the EU Institutions. ECU is a non-governmental and nonprofit organisation which is independent from industrial, commercial and business activities or other conflicting interests. Its primary objective is the promotion and protection of the health, safety, economic and legal interests of European consumers. ECU is mandated to represent consumers’ interests at the Union level by organisations in at least half of the Member States and it is active at the regional and national level. Member organisations consist of consumers’ representatives, in accordance with their national rules or practice.

As EU umbrella consumer association, ECU acts in accordance with all European principles and it pursues social solidarity and the protection of users and consumers’ rights at the national and European level in all areas of their interest.

Board:

• President: Sergio Veroli, Federconsumatori, Italy.
• Vice-Presidents: Bozena Stasenkova, Association of Consumer Organizations in Slovakia; Guy Beaune, Indecosa-CGT, France.
• Secretary General: Mariano Votta, Cittadinanzattiva Onlus – Active Citizenship Network, Italy.
• Ethic Committee Coordinator: Alvita Armanaviciene, Lithuanian National Consumer Federation.

Members:

1. Croatia: RAZVOJNA ORGANIZACIJA ZASTITE POTROSACA – ROZP
2. Cyprus: CYPRUS CONSUMERS UNION & QUALITY OF LIFE
3. Czech Republic: CONSUMER DEFENCE ASSOCIATION OF MORAVIA AND SILESIA
4. Estonia: NGO HOUSE OF CONSUMERS COOPERATION
5. France: INDECOSA CGT
6. Greece EEKE – UNION OF WORKING CONSUMERS OF GREECE
7. Hungary: FEBESZ – NATIONAL FEDERATION FOR THE PROTECTION OF CONSUMERS’ AND PATIENTS’ RIGHTS
8. Italy: CITTADINANZATTIVA ONLUS
9. Italy: FEDERCONSUMATORI & FEDERCONSUMATORI PIEMONTE
10. Italy: MOVIMENTO CONSUMATORI
11. Latvia: IMPACT 2040
12. Lithuania: CONSUMER RIGHTS PROTECTION CENTER NGO “SAUGOK SAVE”
13. Lithuania: LITHUANIAN NATIONAL CONSUMER FEDERATION
14. Lithuania: LITHUANIAN CONSUMER ASSOCIATION
15. Malta: ASSOCIATION FOR CONSUMER RIGHTS -ACR
16. Poland: FUNDACJA KUPUJ ODPOWIEDZIALNIE
17. Romania: FEDERATION OF CONSUMER ASSOCIATIONS
18. Serbia: CONSUMERS CENTER OF SERBIA – CEPS
19. Slovakia: ASSOCIATION OF CONSUMER ORGANIZATIONS IN SLOVAKIA
20. Slovakia: SLOVAK CONSUMERS PROTECTION
21. Spain: ADICAE – CONSUMIDORES CRITICOS, RESPONSABLES Y SOLIDARIOS
22. Sweden: KONSUMENT FORUM

Contacts:

Giuseppe Perretti, Liaison Officer with EU institutions at European Consumers Union (ECU)

Mail: [email protected]; mobile: +32 497 28 60 79

Mail: [email protected]

Webpage: https://europeanconsumersunion.eu

Facebook: www.facebook.com/unionedeiconsumatorieuropei