The European Consumer Centre in Spain (ECC-Spain) has recently published a new issue of its Newsletter which includes information on the new rulings of the Supreme Court setting out the criteria for declaring revolving card interest rates to be abusive due to lack of transparency and abusivity. It also echoes the new regulation introducing a new label to identify the emissions of flights operating within the European Union or departing from a European country. In this way, passengers will be able to know clearly and reliably the greenhouse gas emissions of flights.
The newsletter also looks at how, through the Consumer Arbitration System, consumers can resolve consumer disputes through an arbitrator who issues a binding decision for both consumer and trader. In this way, thanks to this private procedure for resolving disputes, consumers would not need to go to court.
On the other hand, it includes information on the ADWiseOnline 2025 campaign in Europe to raise awareness among the public -and especially parents with children- about the marketing techniques commonly used in the online gaming industry to ‘trap’ players and manipulate them into making purchases under pressure. Among other issues, ADWiseOnline 2025 addressed aspects such as the design of online games designed to ‘hook’ players by using, for example, so-called ‘dark patterns’.
Similarly, it highlights information on a ground-breaking report published by Spain's National Institute for Cybersecurity (INCIBE) on the safety of connected toys, making it the first European body to conduct a comprehensive analysis in line with the criteria of the European Union's Cyber Resilience Act (CRA).
About the CEC-Spain Newsletter
This is a bimonthly publication which contains the latest news on consumer rights, new EU consumer rules, as well as recommendations and practical advice on European cross-border shopping. Published in digital format, it is available on the European Centre's website and is sent electronically to around 1,500 subscribers, institutions, consumer bodies and various decision-makers in the sector. The aim is to make citizens more aware of their rights as consumers and to enable them to enjoy all the benefits and protection offered by the European single market. Those who wish to receive it can do so by e-mail, by registering as a subscriber at cec@consumo.gob.es