‘Dag van de Europese Consument’ in het teken van grensoverschrijdende transacties (en)

On the 14th of March 2008, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) will host the10th European Consumer Day (ECD), organised in cooperation with the European Commission i and the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU. This major event, held in the Committee's premises, will discussthis year the topic of "Consumer redress", namely in crossborder transactions, with the participation of the Slovenian minister for the economy, Mr Andrej Vizjak, as well as the European Commissioner for Consumers Ms Meglena Kuneva i . The ECD will round off a whole week of events devoted to major consumer issues.

The EESC has held a Consumer Day since 1999, which it organises in close cooperation with the European Commission. It has often enlisted the support of the Member State holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, with the ECD having been held in Brussels, Madrid, Thessaloniki, Dublin, Vienna and Berlin. But this year's event is a significant one as it takes place during the 50th anniversary year of the EESC. In this context, the ECD will return to Brussels, celebrating at the same time its 10th edition.

The event will be attended by the Slovenian minister for the economy, Mr Andrej Vizjak, as well as the Commissioner for Consumers, Ms Meglena Kuneva, who will both join the EESC President Mr. Dimitris Dimitriadis to open the conference.

The theme of ECD 2008 will be consumer access to justice - with a special emphasis on the problems of cross-border redress. The discussion will focus on both court and out-of-court mechanisms. In an ever expanding single market, it is clear that the practical problems encountered by consumers must be dealt with effectively. Thissubject is currently of crucial importance for both European consumers and businesses.Is the combination of existing redress instruments efficient and reliable, for both national and cross-border disputes? Should new instruments be created? These are the main questions which participants will address.

The detailed programme and registration form are available at: http://www.eesc.europa.eu/sections/int/index_en.asp?id=1470006inten