Which rights do you have as a consumer in Europe?

The European Union stimulates the free movement of goods between the Member States. As a citizen of an EU Member State you must be completely free to make purchases or book trips in another EU Member State, regardless of whether you do so in a shop, online or in any other manner. But how do you know whether it is safe to take up an attractive offer from a trader in another country? To enable you to take full advantage of the internal market, all the countries of the EU have agreed measures, designed to protect you, the European consumer. These rules are laid down in Directives or Regulations which all 27 EU Member States, plus Norway and Iceland, have incorporated into their national legislation. This means that you are guaranteed a minimum level of protection throughout the EU (plus Norway and Iceland). Furthermore, in individual countries there may be additional rules providing for a higher level of consumer protection. So you may enjoy greater protection, but never less!

This website gives you further information about the main European Directives and Regulations for consumer protection. Click on one of the icons on the right-hand side of this page for further details on any particular topic.

29 European Consumer Centres

There is an ECC in 27 countries of the European Union. In addition, there are ECCs in Norway and Iceland. Their contact details can be found on the page Contact.