The European Consumer Centre in Spain (ECC-Spain) has published the 44th Newsletter, which reviews the most relevant developments related to cross-border consumer issues in Europe and the protection of consumer rights within the European Union.
The European Consumer Centre in Spain (ECC-Spain) has published the 44th Newsletter, which reviews the most relevant developments related to cross-border consumer issues in Europe and the protection of consumer rights within the European Union.
Among the highlights, the European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net) has released a report emphasizing the potential of the European Small Claims Procedure as a fast, affordable, and consumer-friendly tool for gaining access to justice in cross-border disputes of less than €5,000. However, the procedure remains underused due to lack of awareness, complexity, and potential costs. To address these challenges, the Network proposes reforms aimed at simplifying fees, reducing language barriers, improving enforcement of judgments, and strengthening the visibility of the procedure.
The Newsletter also reports on the provisional agreement reached between the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament to update and simplify the regulatory framework for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). The goal is to ensure more accessible, attractive, and digitally adapted procedures, by setting deadlines for companies to respond to ADR bodies and promoting closer cooperation between ADR entities and consumer protection authorities.
Additionally, the Newsletter covers measures proposed by the European Parliament to tackle the risks posed by the growing influx of low-cost, poor-quality products purchased from non-EU platforms. The report highlights the heavy burden faced by customs and market surveillance authorities in ensuring the safety of the approximately twelve million small e-commerce parcels arriving in the EU each day. In Spain alone, e-commerce exceeded €95 billion in 2024, marking a 13.1% increase compared to the previous year.
Finally, the Newsletter highlights an analysis conducted by the Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC), which identified significant shortcomings in customer service provided by 29 electricity and gas suppliers. Problems detected include lack of transparency in pre-contractual information, difficulties in withdrawing from contracts, and excessive waiting times for customer support.
The full text of CEC-Spain Newsletter is available at this link.