MEPs of the European Parliament's Internal Market Committee almost unanimously (37 votes in favour, 1 against) supported and strengthened the proposal to update and modernise EU consumer legislation to strengthen their rights, both online and offline, and better protect them against unfair commercial practices across the EU.
The report by the UK’s Daniel Dalton (ECR) on the proposal for an ‘omnibus’ directive amending all relevant legislation, including the consumer rights directive and the unfair commercial practices directive, under the New Deal for Consumers (see EUROPE 11999) was under discussion.
According to the text that was voted for, online markets and comparison services (Amazon, eBay, AirBnb, Skyscanner) will have to disclose the main parameters determining how offers resulting from a consumer's online search are ranked and whether the authenticity of products’ reviews is checked.
The consumer will be able to find out who is selling the product or service, through being provided with clear information before a purchase. The 14-day cooling-off period will be kept.
To be added to the blacklist of unfair commercial practices (Annex I of the Directive): - misleading consumers by stating that a review is truthful when no reasonable and proportionate steps have been taken to ensure that it is; - providing information in response to a consumer's online search query in order to promote a product where a trader has directly or indirectly paid to promote or prominently place it, bypassing the main body of search results, without making that clear to the consumer; - the 'double standard' practice in product quality depending on the country of sale, unless the difference is on account of clear and demonstrable regional consumer preferences, the sourcing of local ingredients or requirements of national law, while this distinction is clear and comprehensively marked so as to be immediately visible to the consumer.
Financial sanctions imposed on companies committing cross-border infringements under European law (in at least three countries) will be more severe than proposed: €10 million or at least 4% of their annual turnover. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)