Consumer Information and Mobilization Processes Graca Cabral Grazyna Rokicka

Consumer Information: What are we talking about?

Playing different roles 1st – to collect information / TO BE INFORMED 2nd – It needs to elaborate information. 2nd – TO ELABORATE INFORMATION 3rd – to distribute information / TO INFORM

Playing different roles 1st – It needs TO BE INFORMED – collect information. TO BE INFORMEDTO INFORM

“ Information is all that changes my future behavior. The remains is noise”- Stephen Kanitz Consumers’ information Quality of information Quantity of information

Quantity of Information TOO LESS ADEQUATE TO CONSUMER’S COMPETENCES MORE IS LESS

Quality of Information CLEAR UNDERSTANDABLE FULL RELEVANT CORRECT / FAIR

Information about WHAT? Legal provisions / rights and obligations Procedures for complaint Services Contracts terms Products

Consumer organizations Other consumers Media Government Traders WHO informs consumers?

HOW to inform consumers? SOURCES WebsiteMediaAdvertisementLegislation Leaflets / brochures Lectures / school lifelong ?

Consumer information – For WHOM? Seniors Media Women / Families Government Students Traders All consumers

WHO decides WHAT INFORMATION is AVAILABLE? WHO pays? CONSUMER! WHO pays?

The right to be informed

John F. Kennedy special message to the Congress on Protecting the Consumer Interest March 15, 1962 The right to safety - to be protected against the marketing of goods which are hazardous to health or life. The right to be informed - to be protected against fraudulent, deceitful, or grossly misleading information, advertising, labeling, or other practices, and to be given the facts he needs to make an informed choice.

John F. Kennedy special message to the Congress on Protecting the Consumer Interest March 15, 1962 The right to choose - to be assured, wherever possible, access to a variety of products and services at competitive prices; and in those industries in which competition is not workable and Government regulation is substituted, an assurance of satisfactory quality and service at fair prices. The right to be heard - to be assured that consumer interests will receive full and sympathetic consideration in the formulation of Government policy, and fair and expeditious treatment in its administrative tribunals.

UN Guidelines for consumer protection The legitimate needs which the guidelines are intended to meet are the following: a)The protection of consumers from hazards to their health and safety; b) The promotion and protection of the economic interests of consumers; c) Access of consumers to adequate information to enable them to make informed choices according to individual wishes and needs;

UN Guidelines for consumer protection The legitimate needs which the guidelines are intended to meet are the following: d) Consumer education, including education on the environmental, social and economic impacts of consumer choice; e) Availability of effective consumer redress; f) Freedom to form consumer and other relevant groups or organizations and the opportunity of such organizations to present their views in decision-making processes affecting them; g) The promotion of sustainable consumption patterns.

UN Guidelines for consumer protection 35. Governments should develop or encourage the development of general consumer education and information programmes […] The aim: - to avoid a discrimination of consumers; -to make them capable of making an informed choice of goods and services; -to make them conscious of their rights and responsibilities. Consumer groups, business and other relevant organizations of civil society should be involved in these educational efforts.

UN Guidelines for consumer protection 37. Consumer education and information programmes should cover : (a) Health, nutrition, prevention of food-borne diseases and food adulteration; (b) Product hazards; (c) Product labelling; (d) Relevant legislation, how to obtain redress, and agencies and organizations for consumer protection; (e) Information on weights and measures, prices, quality, credit conditions and availability of basic necessities; (f) Environmental protection; and (g) Efficient use of materials, energy and water.

UN Guidelines for consumer protection 38. Governments should encourage consumer organizations and other interested groups, including the media, to undertake education and information programmes, […] 39. Business should, where appropriate, undertake or participate in factual and relevant consumer education and information programmes. 40. [..] Governments should, as appropriate, develop or encourage the development of consumer information programmes in the mass media. 41. Governments should organize or encourage training programmes for educators, mass media professionals and consumer advisers, to enable them to participate in carrying out consumer information and education programmes.

Consumer information in the EU COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE PARLIAMENT CONCERNING LANGUAGE USE IN THE INFORMATION OF CONSUMERS IN THE COMMUNITY, COM(93)456 Consumers have a right to information on the qualities and characteristics of products and services on the market. RECOMMENDATIONS: Encouraging multilingual information of the consumer; Guaranteeing the freedom of the Member States in language matters; Improving consistency of Community rules in force; Better mutual information, assigning responsibility to the economic operators.

Information in the EU Consumer Acquis Directive 1993/13/EC on unfair contract terms in contracts concluded with consumers Directive 1998/6/EC on price indication Directive 1999/44/EC on certain aspects of the sale of consumer goods and associated guarantees Directive 2001/95/EC on general product safety Directive 2005/29/EC concerning unfair business-to- consumer commercial practices Directive 2008/48/EC on credit agreements for consumers Directive 2011/83/EU on consumer rights