KONČNO
A6-0378/2005
30.11.2005
POROČILO
o spodbujanju in varovanju interesov potrošnikov v novih državah članicah
(2004/2157(INI))
Odbor za notranji trg in varstvo potrošnikov
Poročevalec:
Henrik Dam Kristensen
PE 359.904v02-00
VSEBINA
PREDLOG RESOLUCIJE EVROPSKEGA PARLAMENTA.....................................................3
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT................................................................................................8
POSTOPEK..............................................................................................................................12
PREDLOG RESOLUCIJE EVROPSKEGA PARLAMENTA
o spodbujanju in varovanju interesov potrošnikov v novih državah članicah
( 2004/2157(INI) )
Evropski parlament ,
– ob upoštevanju člena 45 svojega Poslovnika,
– ob upoštevanju poročila Odbora za notranji trg in varstvo potrošnikov ( A6‑0378/2005 ),
A. ker je visoka raven varstva in zaupanja potrošnikov predpogoj za dobro delovanje notranjega trga,
B. ker je notranji trg z zniževanjem cen in večanjem izbire prinesel dejanske koristi za potrošnike v EU,
C. ker ima EU deset novih držav članic, v katerih je varstvo potrošnikov večinoma dokaj nova skrb,
1. z zadovoljstvom ugotavlja, da se varstvo potrošnikov v desetih novih državah članicah razvija v pozitivni smeri, z višanjem standardov, vendar je treba še veliko storiti;
2. vztraja, da notranji trg ne bo deloval pravilno, če so potrošniki v nekaterih državah članicah slabše varovani kot v drugih; zato opozarja, da bosta visoka in enotna raven varovanja potrošnikov po državah članicah spodbujali čezmejne transakcije in zagotovili, da bodo potrošniki izkoriščali notranji trg;
3. opozarja tudi, kako pomemben je člen 153 Pogodbe, ki državam članicam omogoča ohranjanje ali uvedbo strožjih zaščitnih ukrepov;
4. poziva Komisijo, da opravi pregled usklajenosti zakonodaje s podrobnim pregledom sestave potrošniških organizacij in potrošniške politike v novih državah članicah;
Pravni okvir
5. pozdravlja dobre dosežke novih držav članic glede prenosa pravnega reda Skupnosti ; vseeno pa poudarja, da je treba zakonodajo Skupnosti učinkovito uporabljati tudi v praksi in jo izvajati; poziva vlade novih držav članic, naj natančno preučijo vse razpoložljive instrumente in metode, da bi določili sredstva, s katerimi bi potrošniško zakonodajo učinkovito uporabljali in izvajali v praksi;
6. poziva h krepitvi struktur nadzora trga v novih državah članicah, da izdelki in storitve, ki krožijo na njihovih trgih, izpolnjujejo zahteve visokih standardov varnosti in da se kakršni koli poškodovani ali nevarni izdelki hitro umaknejo s trga;
7. Poudarja, da otroci potrošniki pogosto niso ustrezno zaščiteni pred izdelki, ki bi lahko škodili njihovemu zdravju in dobremu počutju; poziva države članice in Komisijo, naj bodo posebej pozorne na krepitev zaščite otrok potrošnikov in drugih ranljivih skupin.
8. poziva Komisijo, naj pomaga izboljšati uspešnost nadzornih organov v novih državah članicah in usklajevanje med njimi, vključno z vzajemnim čezmejnim sodelovanjem;
9. pozdravlja predlog Komisije, da pregleda, posodobi in poenostavi obstoječi potrošniški pravni red, ki se lahko izkaže za pomembnega za nove države članice v postopku izvajanja evropske zakonodaje o varstvu potrošnikov in ki bi potrošnikom po vsej EU olajšal učinkovito uveljavljanje pravic, med drugim tudi čez meje;
10. poudarja, da prenos zakonodaje skupnosti ne vodi samodejno k izvajanju takšnega zakona in da se morajo potrošniki za uspešno izvajanje zavedati svojih pravic in se obnašati kot „politični potrošniki“;
11. pozdravlja predlog Komisije za razvoj in posodobitev baze znanstvenega znanja in ocenjevalnih orodij za izpostavljenost potrošnikov kemikalijam, vključno s splošno varnostjo izdelkov, in za prispevek k izvajanju uredbe REACH;
Potrošniška kultura
12. poudarja, da je ustvarjanje "potrošniške kulture", ki temelji na višji ravni osveščenosti potrošnika, bistveno za boljše izvajanje in uporabljanje obstoječega pravnega okvira in poudarja pomembno vlogo potrošniških organizacij, organov za varstvo potrošnikov in poslovnih organizacij pri krepitvi potrošniške kulture;
13. se zaveda, da je ozaveščenost potrošnikov bistveno manjša v novih državah članicah, kjer je bila svoboda govora in združevanja desetletja zatirana; poudarja, da je za razvoj "potrošniške kulture" treba sistematično povečati ozaveščenost potrošnikov glede pravic ter jim hkrati bistveno olajšati njihovo uveljavljanje; zato poziva Komisijo, naj pripravi posebno strategijo za spodbujanje razvoja potrošniške kulture v novih državah članicah;
Potrošniške organizacije
14. poziva Komisijo, da oceni možnost opredelitve parametrov na ravni Skupnosti glede pojma „zastopniška potrošniška združenja ali organizacije“, da se zagotovi ustrezna in neodvisna zastopanost potrošnikov znotraj EU;
15. poziva stare države članice, naj bodo še naprej zavezane k podpiranju potrošniških organizacij;
16. opozarja, da najbolj obstojne potrošniške organizacije v novih državah članicah delajo v glavnem s prostovoljci in jim velikokrat primanjkuje finančnih sredstev; zato poziva nove države članice, da zagotovijo, da so zastopane potrošniške organizacije ustrezno financirane, pri čemer še vedno ohranjajo svojo samostojnost;
17. poudarja, da nevladne in neprofitne organizacije v novih državah članicah praviloma nimajo potrebnega lastnega kapitala, zbiranje finančnih sredstev ni dovolj razvito, potrošniki sami pa niso pripravljeni iz svojega žepa prispevati za potrošniške organizacije zaradi prepričanja, da je za varstvo potrošnikov odgovorna samo država;
18. opozarja, da so zahteve za pridobitev pomoči, ki jih določi Komisija, stroge in jih je potrošniškim organizacijam v novih državah članicah težko izpolniti, ob upoštevanju strokovnih izkušenj njihovega osebja in težav, povezanih s financiranjem, ki pogosto onemogočajo, da bi ustvarili lastne vire, ki so nujni za zahtevane finančne prispevke; zato poziva Komisijo, naj pregleda, ali lahko zahteve bolj prilagodi, na primer tudi tako, da bi bilo delo prostovoljcev upoštevano kot finančni prispevek;
19. poudarja, da močne in neodvisne potrošniške organizacije omogočajo osnovo za učinkovito potrošniško politiko; zato poziva potrošniške organizacije, da ustvarijo krovne organizacije in sodelujejo med seboj; poziva tudi vlade novih držav članic, da spodbujajo ustvarjanje manjših, a močnejših organizacij s postopnim in učinkovitim financiranjem;
20. meni, da je za izboljšanje kakovosti varstva potrošnikov treba finančno okrepiti posamezne potrošniške organizacije ter zagotoviti cilje in ocene kakovosti njihove uspešnosti, ki so dostopne javnosti; zato poziva Komisijo in nove države članice, naj intenzivno sodelujejo pri pripravi teh finančnih pravil in oblikovanju merljivih kazalnikov kakovosti rezultatov, ki so jih dosegle te organizacije;
21. poziva vlade novih držav članic, da zagotovijo ustrezno posvetovanje s potrošniškimi organizacijami na vseh ravneh postopka političnega odločanja in pri izvajanju prava varstva potrošnikov;
22. poziva nove države članice in Komisijo, da, kjer je to mogoče, razvijejo in finančno podprejo projekte za ustvarjanje zmogljivosti za krepitev potrošniških organizacij v novih državah članicah s projekti tesnega sodelovanja, mentorstva in ostalimi programi za izmenjavo znanja in informacij med organizacijami v novih in starih državah članicah;
23. poziva Komisijo, naj podpre intenzivne programe usposabljanja za zaposlene pri potrošniških organizacijah, ki bodo potekali v novih državah članicah in v uradnih jezikih teh držav, pri čemer je cilj usposobiti več zaposlenih in prostovoljcev, ki delajo za te organizacije, ne le njihovega višjega vodstva, da bi bilo gibanje potrošnikov učinkovitejše;
Poslovne organizacije
24. spodbuja poslovne organizacije in nacionalne vlade k rešitvi težave mnogih podjetij v novih državah članicah, ki podcenjujejo pomembnost in koristi reševanja težav potrošnikov in so napačnega mnenja, da so potrošniške organizacije nasprotnice in da je ozaveščenost potrošnikov grožnja podjetju;
25. ugotavlja, da se nove države članice spopadajo tudi z nepošteno prakso trgovcev iz starih držav članic, v katerih tako ravnanje večinoma ni dovoljeno, na primer omejevanje pravic uporabnikov glede blaga, ki spada pod varstvo intelektualne lastnine, poskusi distribucije nepreverjenega blaga iz držav, ki niso članice EU, itd;
26. spodbuja poslovne organizacije v novih državah članicah k tesnemu sodelovanju s potrošniškimi organizacijami in uveljavitvi prostovoljnih standardov etičnih poslovnih praks s preglednimi in učinkovitimi postopki izvajanja, potrošniškimi in poslovnimi izobraževalnimi programi ter pravičnimi in učinkovitimi postopki reševanja sporov; prav tako poziva nove države članice, da spodbujajo in podpirajo te pobude;
Organi za varstvo potrošnikov
27. ugotavlja, da imajo pri ustvarjanju "potrošniške kulture" pomembno vlogo tudi organi za varstvo potrošnikov v novih državah članicah;
28. vztraja, da je odsotnost dobro delujočega upravljanja na področju zaščite potrošnikov v nekaterih državah članicah resna ovira zagotavljanju visoke ravni zaščite potrošnikov; nujno poziva nove države članice, da stalno razvijajo in krepijo svoje upravne sisteme na področju varstva potrošnikov;
29. poziva organe za varstvo potrošnikov, poslovne organizacije in organizacije potrošnikov držav članic, naj tesno sodelujejo, da bi spodbudili varstvo potrošnikov; ugotavlja, da je gladko delovanje trga v interesu vseh zadevnih strani;
Informacije za potrošnike
30. pozdravlja evropske potrošniške centre, ki jih je ustanovila Komisija v vseh novih državah članicah, in uvedbo evropskega potrošniškega dnevnika;
31. priporoča, da se osveščenosti potrošnika nameni večja prednost v učnih načrtih po vsej Evropi;
32. poziva Komisijo, naj za centre, ki potrošnikom posredujejo informacije čez meje med starimi in novimi državami članicami, zlasti v obmejnih regijah, poleg obstoječe pomoči odobri zagonska sredstva;
33. pozdravlja dejstvo, da Komisija izvaja kampanje za povečanje osveščenosti v številnih državah članicah in spodbuja Komisijo, da nameni več finančnih in človeških virov v ta namen.
34. poziva Komisijo ter vse zadevne zainteresirane strani, naj začnejo učinkovito strateško informacijsko in izobraževalno kampanjo , da bi potrošnike pripravili na sprejetje evra v novih državah članicah; poudarja, da bi morala kampanja temeljiti tako na pozitivnih kot negativnih izkušnjah sprejetja evra v starih državah članicah;
35. priporoča, da organizacije potrošnikov izdajajo preskusne časopise v novih državah članicah; poziva Komisijo in nove države članice, da zagotovijo, vsaj na začetku, zadostno financiranje in usposabljanje, da se omogoči razvoj takšnega izdajanja;
36. poziva nove države članice k okrepitvi zagotavljanja informacij potrošnikom in podjetjem v zvezi z njihovimi pravicami in obstoječim pravnim okvirom o potrošniški politiki, zlasti s postavljanjem uporabnikom prijaznih spletnih portalov in izvajanjem kampanj za osveščanje potrošnikov, raziskav, konferenc in informacijskih točk z uporabljanjem nacionalnih in regionalnih omrežij;
37. poziva Komisijo k ustanovitvi mehanizmov spremljanja nacionalnih potrošniških politik, meril in priporočil, da se prepoznajo najboljše prakse in se razvije statistika, kazalci in ostali podatki, potrebni za potrošnike, vključno z raziskavami o spremljanju cen in kakovosti;
Reševanje sporov
38. poziva Komisijo in nove države članice k razširitvi omrežja evropskih potrošniških centrov z vključevanjem neodvisnih organizacij potrošnikov, da se potrošnikom zagotovijo informacije o dostopnem načrtu alternativnega reševanje sporov (ADR) ter o pravnih nasvetih in praktični pomoči pri obravnavanju pritožb;
39. priporoča, da nove države članice razširijo uporabo mehanizmov za alternativno reševanje sporov z razvojem tovrstnih državno podprtih mehanizmov za alternativno reševanje sporov in s spodbujanjem ustanavljanja zasebnih odborov za pritožbe v specifičnih sektorjih;
40. predlaga, naj Komisija začne obsežno raziskavo o obstoju in delovanju organizacij za alternativno reševanje sporov, da bi opredelila potrebo po drugih pobudah in podpori na ravni EU, ki bi lahko dopolnile omrežja evropskih centrov za potrošnike in bi bile tudi bolje usmerjene na poseben položaj v novih državah članicah;
41. v vseh državah članicah spodbuja ustanovitev neodvisnih agencij za varstvo potrošnikov z vsemi pooblastili za sprožitev postopkov pred nacionalnimi sodišči, da bi zaščitili interese potrošnikov;
42. spodbuja Parlament in Svet kot proračunska organa, da, kot je bilo določeno, namenita več finančnih sredstev za okrepitev varstva potrošnikov v novih državah članicah, v skladu s to resolucijo ;
43. poudarja, da bi morale institucije EU ostati osredotočene na varstvo potrošnikov v novih državah članicah, ker v zvezi s tem še vedno obstajajo pereča vprašanja, ki so zastavljena v tej resoluciji;
44. predlaga, da same institucije vprašanja v zvezi s potrošniki vključijo v svoje zakonodajno in nezakonodajno delo, pri tem pa posebej upoštevajo poseben položaj novih držav članic; poudarja, da je treba poseben položaj novih držav članic upoštevati zlasti v zvezi s potrošniško in zdravstveno strategijo;
°
° °
45. naroča svojemu predsedniku, naj to resolucijo posreduje Svetu in Komisiji ter vladam držav članic.
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Introduction
Consumer protection and consumer policy in general are issues which have been placed high on the political agenda in the EU in these years. A consumer protection programme is on the way. It aims to mainstream the consumer issues, making sure that these are taken into consideration when dealing with all other policy areas within the competence of the EU. The extent to which national policy makers and the public are sufficiently aware of consumer issues does however vary greatly across the region. There are also big differences in consumer law and the level of integration of consumer issues into the broad legal framework of the Member States. There are thus a lot of issues to look into in relation to securing a high common level of consumer protection in the EU. This own initiative report does however take a more narrow focus on consumer protection/ consumer policy in the ten new Member States with a primary view to the existence/creation of a consumer culture.
Drawing a general picture of the state of play of consumer protection in the 10 new Member States is very difficult. First of all, there is a lack of data and nobody has a complete overview of the situation in the new Member States in the field of consumer protection. Furthermore one has to be aware of the fact that these countries are very different indeed. The organisational structure in the field of consumer protection as well as the traditions in this area vary greatly across all of Europe - not least in the new Member States. It is, however, possible to point to some areas in which one can identify some more general tendencies and some common challenges with regard to the protection of consumers within the ten new Member States.
First of all, it is important to stress that the overall impression of consumer protection in the ten new Member States is basically positive. Consumer organisations exist everywhere. It seems that these organisations are trying to raise awareness of consumer issues amongst the population and the politicians. There are, however, still some very important issues to address and it seems clear that at least some of the ten new Members States do not put consumer issues as high on the agenda as is necessary if the Internal Market is to function properly both for consumers and for businesses.
Legal infrastructure
The general picture is that the acquis communitaire is well transposed in the new Member States at the overall level, as EU preparation in these countries before accession had already brought improvements in contract laws, statutory rights and product safety. Knowledge is however still lacking as to whether all details of consumer legislation are transposed fully into national legislation.
At the same time, the formal transposition of Community consumer law is one thing. This does not automatically lead to practical implementation as such.
Many of the stakeholders from the new Member States working with consumer issues in the ten new Member States who have been involved in this report have expressed concern that consumers in the new Member States are not aware of their new rights and that thus very few people go to court to exercise these rights. Equally, it seems to be a more or less general tendency that politicians in the new Members States very seldom raise the question of consumer rights unless a legislative proposal directly concerns consumers.
Therefore, one might argue that the acquis communautaire is not really sufficiently implemented on all levels. Consequently, there is a need for strengthening consumer awareness and stimulating “political” behaviour amongst consumers – a strong consumer culture should be created.
1. Consumer culture
1.1. The political consumer
As the situation is now, most consumers in the new Member States are behaving "non-politically". Consumers are not very demanding with regard to the quality of the products and services they buy. Moreover, institutionalised practise to complain about defects or problems in relation to a product or a service does not exist or only exist to a limited extent.
Thus, on account of the different historical experience and the different prevailing socioeconomic conditions, there is currently a lower level of consumer awareness than in the old Member States. However, this does not mean that one should abstain from focusing on strengthening consumer culture and trying to identify instruments that could help improving it.
1.2. Consumer organisations
Consumer organisations in the new Member States are aware of the unique opportunities the single market could offer them. Most of the organisations are optimistic that being a Member of the EU means greater choice, higher quality and improved standards for consumers. Still, consumer organisations in the new Member States as well as the EU draw attention to the lack of support for independent consumer organisations and the minimal efforts made by governments to encourage consumer awareness.
One major problem, which many of the consumer organisations in the new Member States point to, is lack of money. Only in some countries does the ministry responsible foresee funding, and even if funding is possible, the amount is often very small.
Besides government funding, another possibility is EU funding for consumer projects through the European Commission. The conditions which are set up for getting a tender or receiving support from the European Commission are however quite strict, especially when it comes to the professional background of the staff of the organisations. In many of the new Member States mainly volunteers are working in consumer organisations; they are enthusiastic but unfortunately do not meet the European Commission's conditions.
A second problem is that the political influence of consumer organisations is often quite low. This can be explained by different factors. First of all, many organisations have difficulties securing a sufficient amount of support from the public - both due do their weak economic situation and the relatively low awareness of consumer issues among the population. Secondly, the formal channels for NGO influence on political decision taking - for example hearings of consumer organisations in the law-making process - are often few. In some of the old Member States consumer organisations are also involved in the implementation of new consumer law.
Additionally, consumer organisations often lack qualified staff and they can therefore have major difficulties in promoting consumer issues to the public. On the EU level, there are programs training consumer organisations staff with regard to these issues. It is clear that the sharing of knowledge between the organisations in the new and the old Member States is essential. With regard to this, consumer organisation in the new as well as the old Member States and the European consumer association have recommended putting more focus on twinning projects between organisations in the new and the old Member States.
Moreover, there are great differences as to how consumer organisations in the new Member States are organised. Sometimes many small consumer organisations exist, competing against each other instead of joining their efforts. This make it very difficult for the organisations to take a strong position in the decision-making process and in public debate.
1.3. Consumer information
Generally speaking, it is important to focus on raising consumer awareness - also through other means than strengthening consumer organisations. This could be done by strengthening information in schools, supporting the creation of test magazines, which has proven an effective tool in raising consumer awareness in some of the old Member States, and by launching consumer policy information campaigns in all the Member States. At the moment the responsible DG within the Commission (DG SANCO) is starting a campaign in Poland but due to money restrictions they can only afford to campaign in one country each year.
1.4. Businesses and consumers – a well functioning Internal Market
Another point worth stressing is the lack of interest some businesses have in consumer issues. Many companies in the new Member States do not realise their importance. Many of them see consumer organisations as opponents. Therefore, it is vital to make the private sector and the authorities in the new Member States understand that competition and consumer protection are not contradictory but can be seen as preconditions. Companies in the 21st century have to realise that high consumer standards can be one of the most important factors in raising their competitiveness in the Internal Market.
Furthermore, business can play a major role in advancing a consumer culture and in so doing strengthen competition and open markets for honest traders, and it is therefore important to encourage business organizations in the new Member States to work closely with consumer organizations and governments to establish a framework for self-regulation that will complement consumer and government activities.
From a more general point of view, it should be stressed that a very important factor in strengthening the consumer culture is better awareness of the benefits that well-functioning markets can bring to consumers. The Internal Market stands or falls on consumer confidence. Without it, it cannot function properly.
Across the EU it must be a top priority to achieve a high common level of consumer protection so that the consumer has more confidence in the functioning of the Internal Market. Mutual trust will promote cross-border transactions and will make sure that consumers take advantage of the Internal Market.
1.5. Dispute resolution
From the point of view of making the internal market work for consumers, the resolution of consumer disputes is an important issue. Consumers will lose their faith in market mechanisms if their disputes with suppliers are not resolved effectively.
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is out of court dispute resolution which is usually conducted by a third party. Some types of ADR result in binding and enforceable decisions, but not all ADRs have that status. Examples of ADR are arbitration, mediation, complaint boards and the ombudsman.
ADR is regarded as being cheaper, faster and more effective than Court litigation, yet it is relatively unknown. The institutions of the EU have repeatedly declared ADR a political priority.
The tradition of ADR differs throughout Europe, mirroring the Member State's variety in litigation, culture and historic development. Only some of the countries have so far notified an ADR body to the European Commission, within the framework of the ECC network. These bodies should of course be established in all countries throughout the EU.
Generally speaking, many of the new Member States are facing the unwillingness of businesses to enter ADR schemes and have to face low consumer awareness about its possibilities. Many ADR mechanisms issue non-binding or non-enforceable recommendations only. If the company does not comply, the consumer has to go to court anyway. This is a costly procedure that the consumer wants to avoid; here lies a possible role for enforcement of ADR rulings by consumer protection authorities.
Some of the new Member States plan to start a reform that should widen the competence of ADRs, either through specialisation or generalising competencies in several sectors. It might be recommended that a comprehensive study of the existence and functioning of ADR bodies be conducted by the European Commission to identify the needs for other European initiatives and support which could be supplement the ECC network and which could also be more targeted towards the specific situation in the new Member States.
POSTOPEK
Naslov
Spodbujanje in varovanje interesov potrošnikov v novih državah članicah
Številka postopka
2004/2157(INI)
Podlaga v Poslovniku
člen 45
Pristojni odbor Datum razglasitve dovoljenja na zasedanju
IMCO
28.10.2004
Odbori, zaprošeni za mnenje Datum razglasitve na zasedanju
Odbori, ki niso dali mnenja Datum sklepa
Okrepljeno sodelovanje Datum razglasitve na zasedanju
Predlog(-i) resolucije, vključen(-i) v poročilo
Poročevalec (-ka) Datum imenovanja:
Henrik Dam Kristensen 27.9.2004
Prejšnji poročevalec (-ka)
Obravnava v odboru
28.9.2004
24.11.2004
18.4.2005
14.9.2005
Datum sprejetja
22.11.2005
Izid končnega glasovanja
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Poslanci, navzoči pri končnem glasovanju
Mia De Vits, Janelly Fourtou, Evelyne Gebhardt, Malcolm Harbour, Christopher Heaton-Harris, Anna Hedh, Edit Herczog, Anneli Jäätteenmäki, Pierre Jonckheer, Henrik Dam Kristensen, Alexander Lambsdorff, Kurt Lechner, Lasse Lehtinen, Toine Manders, Arlene McCarthy, Manuel Medina Ortega, Bill Newton Dunn, Zita Pleštinská, Zuzana Roithová, Luisa Fernanda Rudi Ubeda, Heide Rühle, Leopold Józef Rutowicz, Andreas Schwab, Eva-Britt Svensson, József Szájer, Marianne Thyssen, Jacques Toubon, Bernadette Vergnaud, Phillip Whitehead, Joachim Wuermeling
Namestniki, navzoči pri končnem glasovanju
Charlotte Cederschiöld, Joel Hasse Ferreira, Othmar Karas, Joseph Muscat, Alexander Stubb
Namestniki, navzoči pri končnem glasovanju v skladu s členom 178(2)
Datum predložitve – A6
30.11.2005
A6-0378/2005
