Brussels, 15/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - On 15 March, European Consumer Day, the BEUC (European Consumers' Organisation) calls on the EU to take energetic measures to help consumers adopt a sustainable lifestyle. Consumers' Day 2012 is devoted to sustainable consumption. Consumers are too often disenchanted when seeking to make sustainable choices, BEUC bemoans, saying that sustainable products are often more expensive when they are actually available, advertising is “green-washing” and there is misleading labelling which hampers consumer choice even when consumers seek to move to “green” products.
At a time when the EU is examining its action plan on the production and consumption of sustainable products, BEUC calls for it to: (1) be more ambitious when it comes to the ecological conception of products - studies show that measures on eco-design of taps or showers allow a potential savings of twice the annual electricity consumption of United Kingdom residents, and similar measures give rise to major interest among consumers for more to be done at European level, BEUC points out, referring to Eurostat statistics (Eurostat 2010/ECOS 2012); (2) fix clear targets for traders with a view to making their supply chains greener, especially by changing the European retail trade forum from a discussion forum to an instrument that has binding effect; and (3) reduce the consumers' exposure to products containing dangerous chemicals, taking the “chemical cocktail” notion seriously.
BEUC believes there are three priorities that can provide tangible advantages for consumers. Monique Goyens, BEUC Director General, spoke on the day marking the 50th anniversary of the speech delivered by President John F. Kennedy, recognising the importance of consumers' fundamental rights. She said that by taking shorter showers and buying fruit in season, the consumer can have a positive impact on the environment. However, all too often, companies seek to make the green choice more difficult for consumers. The EU, she said, has the necessary tools to ensure that companies aid consumers in their ecological choices, but it is urgent for these tools to be more effective. Europe must, she added, step up its efforts aimed at stimulating the production of sustainable goods and improve consumer information on the best ecological choice. (AN/transl.jl)