The European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net) has urged the European institutions to push for a review of the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) framework, with the aim of adapting control and monitoring mechanisms to the realities of digital markets and strengthening consumer protection across the European Union.
Whilst the current CPC network is functional, it has limitations that hinder an effective response to harmful commercial practices operating on a European scale. Among these limitations, ECC-Net warns that procedures remain too slow, fragmented and lacking in focus on concrete outcomes for consumers.
Furthermore, although many of the infringements detected affect consumers in several Member States simultaneously, enforcement actions continue to depend mainly on national procedures and priorities, which slows down responses and reduces their impact.
Similarly, ECC-Net has identified some operational obstacles that limit the effectiveness of the current CPC network, including a lack of resources, differences in prioritisation among national authorities, difficulties in obtaining and preserving digital evidence, and a weak link between enforcement actions and effective compensation for affected consumers.
To address these challenges, the European Consumer Centres (ECC-Net) propose a series of improvements aimed at strengthening European cooperation and increasing the capacity to respond to potential cross-border infringements.
Among the key recommendations is the need for alerts arising from consumer complaints to be managed through a structured mechanism that allows enforcement actions to be triggered more swiftly.
ECC-Net also calls for faster and more effective enforcement tools, as well as common minimum standards across the European Union to reduce differences between Member States regarding response times, case prioritisation and administrative cooperation.
It also recommends strengthening the deterrent effect of sanctions through greater coordination between national authorities, more robust escalation mechanisms in the event of repeated breaches, and more transparent communication regarding the results of investigations. Another key aspect of the proposal is to improve the link between enforcement actions and the effective redress of harm suffered by consumers through refunds, compensation and other redress mechanisms when infringements are detected.
Similarly, ECC-Net calls for closer cooperation between European Consumer Centres, consumer protection authorities and other bodies involved in enforcing the regulations, as well as optimising coordination with Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms and collective actions.
Finally, the network of European Consumer Centres proposes strengthening the European Commission’s coordinating role in cases that have a widespread impact on consumers across several countries, particularly in cross-border digital markets and in environments dominated by online platforms.
The ECC-Net network believes that a reform based on these principles would enable faster, more consistent and more effective enforcement of European consumer law, strengthen citizens’ confidence in the single market, and ensure a fairer playing field for businesses that comply with the rules. It has also expressed its willingness to play an active role in this process by drawing on its extensive experience in handling complaints from European consumers.
About the CPC Network
To enhance the security of cross-border purchases within the European Union, Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 established a network for cooperation between competent public authorities, with the aim of coordinating action against potential infringements affecting consumers.
The subsequent update of this regulatory framework through Regulation (EU) 2017/2394 has strengthened the capabilities of national authorities, which now have more tools to detect irregularities and take action against fraudulent commercial practices. Furthermore, collaboration between consumer bodies in different countries makes it possible to optimise resources and reduce costs.
This cooperation system covers a wide range of rules relating to consumer protection, including those governing unfair commercial practices, e-commerce, unjustified geo-blocking, package travel, online sales and passenger rights.
>> Further information: ECC-Net Position Paper.