Published on
The French Presidency of the Council of the European Union is set to host on 10 and 11 February 2022 the European Consumer Summit 2022 and an informal ministerial meeting. Both events will tackle the issue of consumer protection in the digital era and the green transition. Tech and environmental experts as well as EU Consumer Affairs Ministers will join citizens, in person or online, to discuss these two important topics.
Hosted at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, and online, this conference and informal ministerial meeting will provide an opportunity to promote French and European authorities’ priority areas for action regarding consumer protection in the digital era and the green transition. The European Consumer Summit 2022 will feature opening remarks from Didier Reynders, European Commissioner for Justice, and Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, French Minister in charge of Consumer Affairs. Experts from France and abroad will discuss topics related to the digital and environmental spheres and tackle the issue of how consumption patterns may change in the short- and medium-term.
Participants will put forward their ideas and suggestions during four breakout sessions:
- Making the digital transition without infringing the rights of consumers: Challenges and opportunities (accountability of online marketplaces and digital tools helping consumers enforce their rights)
- Transparency of online markets (influencer marketing and dark patterns)
- Consumer information and green claims (consumer information and fighting greenwashing)
- Improving the lifespan of products – the right to repair and obsolescence (right to repair and fighting early obsolescence).
Following these breakout sessions, each participant will be given the chance to vote for the specific priority areas for action they want to see addressed in 2022. The results of these sessions will inform the content of the informal meeting of EU Consumer Protection Ministers on 11 February 2022.
All told, more than 40 speakers will participate at the European Parliament or online on 10 February 2022. Academics, experts, civil servants, EU citizens, journalists, sociologists and researchers will all take part in the work spearheaded by the European Consumer Summit.
On 11 February 2022, the informal ministerial meeting will be attended by European Commissioner Didier Reynders and EU Consumer Protection Ministers. Discussions will focus on the work produced by the European Consumer Summit. Topics addressed will include:
- The impact of the pandemic on the travel sector and problems posed by the implementation of the directive on package travel and linked travel arrangements
- Matters related to the rights of consumers and the safety of products purchased online
- The future common priorities of Member States and the European Commission in the context of the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network
- The informal dialogue with three US consumer protection agencies (the Federal Trade Commission [FTC], the Consumer Product Safety Commission [CPSC] and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau [CFPB]).
Ministers from the 27 EU Member States will join the Commission for these events at the European Parliament, with online attendance possible.