Brussels, 13/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - On 20 December 2010, the EU Council will endorse without debate its general approach to the draft EU directive on consumer rights.
The consumer rights draft directive has been on the negotiating table for two years with disagreement over the degree of harmonisation until Commissioner Viviane Reding gave up the initial idea of maximum harmonisation replacing it with minimum targeted harmonisation to improve the functioning of the Single Market and boost consumer rights (see EUROPE 10166). A general approach was agreed upon at the 10th December 2010 Competitiveness Council. This came as a surprise because the Council was expected to simply take note of progress in the Belgian Presidency's efforts, but the latter managed to get the 27 member states to reach agreement ahead of the European Parliament expressing its views in first reading. Viviane Reding welcomed the move: “This will allow the European Parliament to take this important file forward in early 2011”. The European Bureau of Consumer Organisations (BEUC), however, describes the general approach as a hasty agreement that will not improve consumer protection in Europe because a large number of the directive's measures have been scrapped and other measures amended to force through full harmonisation of consumer rights throughout the EU. The EP's vote in plenary is scheduled for March 2011. (A.N. trans fl)