08/11/2017 (Agence Europe) – Consumer associations are calling for better consumer protection in online shopping outside the European Union. A study by the European Consumer Bureau (BEUC) and the German consumer organisation, Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband, criticises the way consumer protection is far weaker when purchases are made from sellers outside the EU. In a press release on 8 November, the two organisations call for consumers to be provided with more information when buying online from outside the EU and for systems to be set up to enable consumers to take action in the event of problems. The associations say that international cooperation needs to be strengthened among public authorities responsible for supervising and implementing consumer rights and the alternative EU dispute settlement system needs to be expanded to cover traders from outside the EU. For more information, see: http://bit.ly/2yJe3nN. (SPj)