We expected 2023 to be a busy year. The current EU legislature was coming to an end and many proposals needed to be put forward by the European Commission to stand a chance of being adopted before the 2024 European Parliament elections.
We were not proven wrong, to say the least.
As you will see in the following sections, many initiatives related to both the digital and green transitions were adopted or made good progress in 2023. BEUC contributed significantly to shaping the debate, pushing legislators to embrace a much more vibrant “out-of-silos” approach. We pushed them to connect the dots between the energy markets and financial worlds to allow for green investments. And we encouraged cooperation between customs, consumer protection and market surveillance authorities to make sure consumers were not just a few clicks away from buying unsafe products from third countries...
In that context, 2023 could be symbolised by two recurrent challenges consumers face in today’s markets: greenwashing and the downsides of the online economy. We at BEUC have not only been active in these areas to improve the regulatory framework. Thanks to the evidence and analysis of our member organisations, we have also used the current framework to enforce consumer rights against unacceptable greenwashing practices by airlines and by plastic bottle producers. Our members have also contributed to raising awareness on the many downsides of the e-economy, by shedding light in their tests on the numerous illegal and dangerous products and substances that could be found online.
But 2023 was about much more than that.
It was also the year to tackle the energy crisis. European lawmakers and authorities have learnt numerous lessons on how to prevent this from happening again. Among the provisions the EU adopted, many of the ones championed by BEUC were related to keeping energy bills under control. This means allowing customers to be rewarded for their flexibility, to benefit from variable tariffs in a competitive market where energy can be sourced not only from the usual energy suppliers but also by energy communities or between peers.
It was also a year of not forgetting the basics. However increasingly complex markets become, some basic consumer rights have been revised to make them fit for the digital economy, with a bigger focus on more vulnerable consumers. Think about staying safe when buying or using consumer products, or not being ripped off when taking out a loan.
As in previous years, the European consumer movement had plenty on its plate. More than ever, consumer organisations needed to support not only consumers but also policymakers, in understanding increasingly complex and intertwined markets. In 2023, BEUC has significantly developed its role of coordinating its members’ enforcement activities on important matters such as greenwashing, marketing of crypto-assets and social media subscription models. We expect such enforcement coordination to grow exponentially in the years to come.
At the time of writing this introductory note, the European Parliament elections are within sight. As our campaign motto goes, consumers count on the EU to help them to live in a fair market – online and offline. And BEUC will guide policymakers on how to do so. 2024 will be a different kind of busy but no less exciting.
The EU institutions adopted the General Product Safety Regulation in May. BEUC was instrumental in delivering this progressive piece of legislation which overhauls the existing regulatory framework to promote consumer safety and make consumer products fit for the digital era. Thanks to the new rules, all non-food products on the EU market must be safe and businesses have specific obligations to ensure it.
In December, the institutions finalised the reform of the bloc’s Classification, Labelling, and Packaging of chemicals (CLP) legislation. The new chemical labels will be easier to read for consumers, helping them to make more informed purchasing choices, offline and online.
The political deal on the revision of the Product Liability Directive was reached in December. BEUC was actively involved in supporting the legislative process. Consumers will be better protected and will find it easier to claim compensation if they are harmed by a faulty product. As well as manufacturers, importers and distributors, online marketplaces will now also be liable for damage in specific circumstances.
The political deal on the Cyber Resilience Act was reached in December. It is a major win for consumers. For example, manufacturers of connected devices will have to provide security updates for a period of time which takes into account consumer expectations. BEUC was actively involved in this legislative process.
In October, the EU institutions adopted the revised Consumer Rights Directive incorporating new rules on distance marketing of financial services. BEUC provided policy recommendations during the process of adoption of the legislation, which makes the consumer protection framework for financial services fit for the digital age.
In December, the EU institutions agreed on the AI Act - the world’s first legislation to specifically regulate artificial intelligence. BEUC was actively involved in this legislative process. It includes several important wins for consumers such as new rights for consumers, broader prohibitions and a ban on social scoring - which is too demeaning and discriminatory to consumers. Despite some disappointing elements, some important provisions will allow consumers to act if they have been treated unfairly or have been harmed.
The EU institutions formally approved the Data Act in November. BEUC actively provided recommendations during the legislative process to enhance consumer protection. Consumers will be protected against their data being shared with other companies to profile them when they use their connected products. The Data Act will also contain a prohibition against the use of deceptive design, often called ‘dark patterns’, for example to push consumers to agree to more data processing than they would normally accept.
The Council and Parliament reached a deal on the Electricity Market Design rules in December. In line with BEUC recommendations, the rules greatly improve consumer rights and protection in electricity markets. Member States must ensure that vulnerable and energy poor consumers are protected against disconnection of their electricity supply. Member States are also required to ensure that fixed price and dynamic price offers are always available on the market.
Thanks to the Gas Package adopted in December, consumers will get similar basic rights and protection from their gas supplier as they do from their electricity supplier. In line with BEUC recommendations, the new Directive requires Member States to protect consumers against disconnections and to appoint a supplier of last resort. Better information on energy offers will help consumers more easily decide which deal is better for them.
Many of BEUC’s policy recommendations were taken on board in the final Consumer Credit Directive in October. Consumers taking out loans below €200, leasing agreements or ‘Buy Now Pay Later’ schemes will be better protected. There will be a restriction on lending if the credit-worthiness assessment is negative so as to prevent loan providers from pushing vulnerable consumers into over-indebtedness. National governments will also have to introduce measures to prevent excessive costs for credit, e.g. cost caps.
In September, the European Parliament and the EU Council of Ministers reached a political deal on the Directive on Empowering consumers for the green transition. The new EU rules will enable consumers to navigate through a sea of green claims and choose durable products that live up to expectations. BEUC was actively involved in this legislative process, and strongly advocated for a ban on carbon neutral claims, which was not included in the initial proposal.
The Council adopted the Energy Efficiency Directive in July. In line with BEUC recommendations, the measures greatly improve consumer rights and protection in district heating, protection for vulnerable consumers and consumer engagement in energy efficiency. It includes a new definition of energy poverty and requires Member States to roll out programmes improving home energy efficiency. The Directive provides guidance on the development of one-stop shops, supporting consumers’ investments in energy efficiency.
The Renewable Energy Directive was adopted by the Council in October. In line with BEUC recommendations, the rules facilitate consumers’ adoption of renewable heating technologies and engagement in demand side flexibility. Member States are required to ensure there are enough renewable heating technology installers to meet the demand and that renewable heating technologies are accessible by vulnerable consumers.
The Council and the Parliament reached a political agreement on the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive in December. In line with BEUC recommendations, the Directive foresees support for consumer investments in improving the energy efficiency of their homes and for acquiring an electric vehicle. It requires that energy performance certificates include the estimated lifespan of heating and cooling appliances, so that consumers can plan for their replacement.
In December, the EU institutions reached a political deal on the new Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation. The new rules will make products more repairable and durable by design and will restrict unsustainable practices, such as the destruction of unsold textile and footwear items. It is very much in line with BEUC’s recommendations and will provide the European Commission with a strong mandate to significantly expand Ecodesign requirements to many new product categories and new sustainability criteria.
In February, the EU reached a deal on the right to repair proposal that will help consumers repair their goods more easily and use their products longer. BEUC played a strong role in ensuring the new rules will put pressure on producers to make high quality and repairable products. Thanks to the new rules, when consumers have their broken products fixed, they will be able to rely on an extra one-year of guarantee.
Following the March agreement between the EU institutions to improve the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation, electric car drivers in Europe will as of 2025 benefit from more charging points. As BEUC has pointed out, it has been a sticking point in the rollout of greener cars. However, slow-chargers – which are much more numerous than fast chargers – will not have the same requirements for pricing and payment.
In March, we compiled a snapshot of examples of misleading ‘carbon neutral’ claims collected by consumer groups from ten countries. Claims such as ‘Carbon neutral’, ‘CO2 neutral’, ‘carbon positive’ are rife in the food sector and confuse consumers. We called on the EU to ban the use of carbon neutral claims for all products including food and drink. This was eventually secured in September with the adoption of the Empowering Consumers in the Green Transition Directive.
In April, we demonstrated that EU energy-efficiency rules, known as Ecodesign, help shield consumers from sky-high energy prices when using their home appliances. We revealed among other things that during the energy crisis in 2022 consumers could save up to €2,450 on their energy bills by using the most efficient appliances. Considering these encouraging results, we called on the European Commission to allocate enough financial resources to expand the rules further.
As we showed with our 11-country survey results in April, consumers could be exposing themselves to food-related risks, as they do not have access to safe use instructions for food containers and kitchenware. We then called on the EU to come up with rules which cover all food packaging so that these are safe under all foreseeable conditions of use, including reuse.
In May, we published a survey across eight European countries showing that consumers are cautious about sharing their health data. We used our findings to underline that EU legislators urgently need to better reflect people’s preferences in the European Health Data Space Regulation which was under discussion by the EU institutions.
Generative AI such as ChatGPT has opened up all kinds of possibilities for consumers, but there are serious concerns about how these systems might deceive, manipulate and harm people. To coincide with the publication of a report from BEUC’s Norwegian member Forbrukerrådet, consumer groups from 14 countries alerted their national authorities in June. They asked national authorities to launch urgent investigations into the risks of generative AI and to enforce existing legislation to protect consumers.
Together with partners, we published a report in June exploring secret influences on consumers’ diets. Based on real-life examples from across Europe, we demonstrated that the way the food industry and retailers present food and frame choices needs to change to make sustainable and healthy diet choices easier for consumers.
Consumers are too often ill at ease and feel insufficiently protected in the digital world, and want greater protection and rights in certain areas, according to survey results we published in September. We used our findings to warn the European Commission which is assessing whether EU consumer law can deal with the realities of today’s digital environment.
In October, we published a new compilation of recent product tests by our members. We found that everyday consumer products are awash with harmful chemicals. For instance, we found that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are present in everyday products, that chemicals of concern are found in many products for children, and that online marketplaces are a major source of products containing hazardous substances. We used the results to call on the EU to urgently reduce people’s exposure to PFAS, endocrine disruptors, and other chemicals of concern.
Research we published in October showed that ‘choice screen’ design will have an important impact on whether the Digital Markets Act (DMA) can give consumers a free and fair choice in the selection of services like search engines and web browsers. This is important as these services can act as gateways to many of consumers’ online activities.
In November, we published results from a survey on greenwashing carried out in 16 EU and non-EU countries. It showed most consumers want to take action to reduce their environmental footprint and look out for reliable information. But they end up frustrated with the confusing, never-ending sea of green labels and claims. Our results enabled us to make a strong case to policymakers for stricter rules – by adopting new ones and rolling out recently adopted ones. We also made the case for public authorities to dedicate more efforts and resources to promoting labels of environmental excellence, such as the EU Ecolabel.
The EU and US developed a ‘joint roadmap’ on artificial intelligence (AI) as part of the Trade and Technology Council. In February, with the Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD) – a network of 77 consumer and digital rights organisations – we called on policymakers to make sure the roadmap does not interfere with how AI is regulated in either the EU or US. We argued the regulation of artificial intelligence is a process which should be left to domestic legislators who are democratically accountable.
Due to pressure from Germany, EU Member States were delaying the adoption of a new EU law which would eliminate CO2 emissions from new cars by 2035. In March, we warned against the request by national politicians to introduce a loophole for cars running on synthetic ‘e-fuels’ in the law. Our argument was that such a move would be against the interests of drivers, as it will be much more costly than going electric.
When the European Commission published in April proposals to reform the EU’s medicines and pharmaceutical legislation, we commented they were a good step in the right direction by moving the EU into a more active role to address numerous market failures. However, set against a backdrop of widespread medicine shortages and increasing pressure on state budgets to reimburse people’s medicines, we made a point that these proposals will have to go further to resolve the problems.
In May, we welcomed European Commission proposals to create a better system for authorities dealing with customs, product safety, and environmental rules to cross-check with each other if products comply with EU law. This could help tackle the many challenges authorities face in checking the surge in e-commerce parcels entering the EU for dangerous or non-compliant products.
When the EU Commission presented its retail investment strategy proposal, we commented that the proposed partial ban on inducements would be insufficient to protect consumers. Inducements – also called ‘kickbacks’ – are paid to financial providers to push certain financial products, whether they are in consumers’ best interests or not. A total ban on inducements is the only way to make competent, independent advice the norm and to ensure this market finally starts delivering for consumers.
In July, we were expecting the European Commission’s proposal to lead to speedier and more effective cross-border enforcement of the EU’s signature law on data protection – the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Considering the proposal’s shortcomings, we called on the European Parliament and EU Council of Ministers to substantially amend it to truly improve cross-border enforcement and improve complainants’ rights.
In September, the European Commission designated which tech companies legally constitute ‘gatekeepers’ under the Digital Markets Act. We commented that this move should help to bring about more choice and fairer online services for consumers. At the same time, we underlined that for consumers to see real changes, we expect the Commission to take a strong stance in enforcing the new law if gatekeepers do not comply.
Thanks to a request to access internal documents, we unveiled how lobbyists turned the European Commission’s food information plans on their head – to the detriment of consumers. Documents showed countless meetings, disinformation and even threats of increased immigration. The Commission failed to introduce a proposal for a mandatory EU-wide front-of-pack nutrition label by the end of 2022. In our view, it is high time it allowed Member States to introduce their own labels so at least some consumers can benefit from this useful tool.
With nine of our members, we filed a complaint on 8 June with the European Commission and national consumer authorities against Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Twitter for facilitating the misleading promotion of crypto assets.
Following our assessment, social media companies are responsible for allowing misleading advertisements for crypto assets to multiply on their platforms (both through advertising and influencers). In our view, this constitutes an unfair commercial practice, as it exposes consumers to serious harm including the loss of significant amounts of money.
BEUC members involved were ASUFIN and OCU, Spain; Altroconsumo, Italy; DECO, Portugal; Forbrugerrådet Tænk, Denmark; KEPKA Greece; Vartotojų aljansas, Lithuania; SOS Poprad, Slovakia; UFC-Que Choisir, France.
BEUC and member organisations from 19 countries launched an EU-wide complaint on 22 June to the European Commission and the network of national consumer protection authorities denouncing misleading climate-related claims by 17 European airlines. According to a new legal analysis commissioned by BEUC, such claims breach EU rules on unfair commercial practices.
The 23 members are Altroconsumo in Italy, DECO in Portugal, Асоциация Активни потребители/Active consumers in Bulgaria, Forbrugerrådet Tænk in Denmark, EKPIZO in Greece, CLCV and UFC-Que Choisir in France, OCU, CECU and ASUFIN in Spain, Tadatoshi Vásárlók Egyesülete in Hungary, Fundacja Konsumentów and Federacja Konsumentów in Poland, Testachats/Testaankoop in Belgium, Spoločnosť ochrany spotrebiteľov (S.O.S.) in Slovakia, Kuluttajaliitto – Konsumentförbundet ry in Finland, Forbrukerrådet in Norway, Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband in Germany, Sveriges Konsumenter in Sweden, Arbeiterkammer in Austria, Fédération romande des consommateurs in Switzerland, Zveza potrošnikov Slovenije in Slovenia, Consumentenbond (The Netherlands).
On 7 November, with member organisations from 13 countries we reported to EU authorities misleading commercial claims about the recyclability of their products by major drinking water bottle companies, such as Coca-Cola, Danone and Nestlé Waters/Nestlé. According to our analysis, such claims (“100% recyclable”, “100% recycled”, use of green imagery) do not comply with the EU rules on unfair commercial practices.
The 15 members are EKPIZO and KEPKA (Greece), Association Consommation, Logement et Cadre de Vie (CLCV-France), Consumentenbond (the Netherlands), Altroconsumo (Italy), Organización de consumidores y usuarios (OCU) and CECU (Spain), Zveza Potrošnikov Slovenije (ZPS – Slovenia), Tudatos Vásárlók Egyesülete (TVE-Hungary), DECO (Portugal), Асоциация Активни потребители/ Bulgarian National Consumer Association (BNAAC – Bulgaria), Federacja Konsumentów (Poland), Verein für Konsumenteninformatiwon (VKI, Austria), Spoločnosť ochrany spotrebiteľov (S.O.S.) Poprad (Slovakia) and Kuluttajaliitto ry (Finland).
On 30 November with 19 of our members we filed a complaint with the network of national consumer protection authorities about Meta engaging in unfair commercial practices in multiple ways. Meta is currently rolling out changes to its service in the EU which require Facebook and Instagram users to either consent to the processing of their data for advertising purposes by the company or pay in order not to be shown advertisements. This is an unfair choice for users, which breaks EU consumer law on several counts and must be stopped.
Participating members are: Асоциация Активни потребители (Bulgaria), dTest (Czech Republic), Forbrugerrådet Tænk (Denmark), UFC-Que Choisir (France), EKPIZO & KEPKA (Greece), Adiconsum (Italy), Latvijas Patērētāju interešu aizstāvības asociācija (Latvia), Vartotojų aljansas (Lithuania), Consumentenbond (Netherlands), Forbrukerrådet (Norway), Federacja Konsumentów & Fundacja Konsumentów (Poland), Spoločnosť ochrany spotrebiteľov (S.O.S.) Poprad (Slovakia), ZPS (Slovenia), Asufin & CECU (Spain), Sveriges Konsumenter (Sweden), Union Luxembourgeoise des Consommateurs (Luxembourg).
Following a complaint to the EU’s Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) network of national consumer protection authorities we made in 2021 with our members against Nintendo for premature obsolescence, in June 2023 the company has committed to lifelong free repairs of Nintendo Switch game consoles suffering from ‘Joy Con Drift’. This complaint was filed by consumer organisations who were inundated with almost 25,000 complaints about the so-called ‘Joy Con Drift’ issue.
We organised two joint events with CPC authorities, respectively on misleading green claims and on new priorities for 2024. We held several meetings with national competition authorities and our members.
We intervened before the EU Court of Justice in the Google Shopping and Google Android antitrust cases. We also intervened in the Commission’s Apple Music Streaming antitrust investigation and commented on the Microsoft/Activision case.
2023 was the second year of our project ‘Put Change on the Menu’. With our partners, we organised an event to launch our report entitled ‘THE ILLUSION OF CHOICE - Why someone already decided what you will eat for lunch’. We exposed many real-life examples, such as supermarket layouts and street ads, showing that today consumers are influenced into unsustainable food choices by default. We called on governments to step in to ensure all consumers can afford to buy food that is good for their health and for the planet. Considering the European Commission’s failure to propose the Sustainable Food Systems framework, we projected calls for action on the EU Commission’s headquarters building.
For this project, BEUC is teaming up with two other civil society groups: Eurogroup for Animals and the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA).
Together with our sister organisation ANEC, we have been running this project since 2022 to improve civil society participation in the standardisation process for AI technologies. Beyond AI, the project also includes a broader analysis of the European standardisation system and will make proposals to improve the process of standardisation.
In July we published a legal study to analyse the current European standardisation system and its limits in the context of digital policies. We also held a webinar to engage a broader audience in standardisation, especially AI standardisation.
This activity is part of a multi-year project looking at the challenges posed by the digitisation of markets, which is a direct continuation of a previous project where we concluded consumer law is currently not fit for purpose to address these challenges and provided advice on how to change it. For instance, we urged a reform of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive so as to include the concepts of digital vulnerability and asymmetry. As a result of these findings, the European Commission decided to launch a Digital Fairness Fitness Check of EU consumer law.
The second project aims to fine tune our policy recommendations, including in specific areas covered by this Fitness Check - such as influencer marketing and personalised pricing - and to analyse any gaps left by the new digital legislation. This project is supported by the Adessium Foundation.
BEUC organised two online training sessions with members of the judiciary to discuss core aspects of the Representative Actions Directive. We also advised our members during the process of implementation of this Directive at national level.
Six training courses/workshops were organised for BEUC members on the Consumer Credit Directive, how the EU works, trade and sustainability, anti-competitive agreements during the cost-of-living crisis and consumer engagement in the energy transition. These allowed our members to deliver better informed advice to consumers about their rights and opportunities.
Our network acted to help consumers get access to renewable energy at an affordable price. Inspired by price comparison tools, BEUC members helped consumers understand how much they could save through using energy-efficient and renewable energy technologies. Members also launched collective purchase campaigns to help consumers overcome the investment barrier. The campaigns included heat pump-based tumble dryers in Slovenia and solar panels in Slovakia. Going beyond conventional purchases, a campaign in Lithuania will give consumers the opportunity to buy a ‘piece’ of a solar park which could be specifically helpful for people living in flats or who are tenants.
These actions are part of EU Horizon 2020-funded project CLEAR-X (‘Consumers Leading the EU’s Energy Ambition Response, Expansion’), running from 2021 to 2024. This is led by our sister organisation International Consumer Research & Testing (ICRT) and seven national consumer organisations: Асоциация Активни потребители/Asotsiatsiya Aktivni Potrebiteli (Bulgaria), Κυπριακού Συνδέσμου Καταναλωτών/Kypriakos Syndesmos Katanaloton (Cyprus), Vartotojų aljansas (Lithuania), Организација на потрошувачите на Македонија/Organizacija na potrosuvacite na Makedonija – OPM (North Macedonia), DECO Proteste (Portugal), Spoločnosť ochrany spotrebiteľov Poprad – S.O.S (Slovakia), Zveza Potrošnikov Slovenije – ZPS (Slovenia).
In October, we kicked off the CLEAR-HP project, a sister project of CLEAR-X. The “CLEAR” project series, now in its fourth iteration, stands for “Consumers Leading the EU’s Energy Ambition Response”. “HP” refers to the renewable heating device that is at the heart of this project: the heat pump.
By offering rigorously tested heat pump options and organising collective purchase campaigns, this project will enable consumers to select energy-efficient products. They will also benefit from proper home assessments, information about financing options, and have their heat pumps installed by certified professionals, ensuring a seamless experience. By the end of the project in 2026 we aim to see more than 40,000 consumers benefiting from efficient and reliable heat pumps.
The project involves consumer organisations from Belgium (Testachats/testaankoop), Bulgaria (Българска национална асоциация “Активни потребители”), Italy (Altroconsumo), Portugal (DECO PROTeste), Slovakia (Spoločnosť ochrany spotrebiteľov (S.O.S.), Slovenia (Zveza potrošnikov Slovenije (ZPS), and Spain (Organización de consumidores y usuarios – OCU), coordinated by BEUC Secretariat. We have partnered with the International Consumer Research & Testing (ICRT) and with the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA).
A 2020 law requires all EU countries to put in place collective redress procedures (officially called ‘representative actions for redress’). Between October 2021 and September 2023, BEUC has run a project to help consumer organisations and digital rights groups contribute to the national implementation of this law and to prepare the best way to fund and run collective redress. The project was funded by Luminate.
We issued 55 press releases and were contacted by journalists 347 times, which led to nearly 12,000 quotes in the written press, including in top-tier media.
In addition, we gave 40 interviews to media outlets.
We posted over 1,700 times on our three social media platforms combined.
BEUC staff spoke at a total of 288 public events across all our topics.
We had various meetings with the European Commission: 3 with Commissioners, 8 with Directors-General or Deputy Directors-General, and 136 with staff from a variety of departments that work on consumer-related topics.
We organised events on topics such as connected products, the energy transition, food environments or personalised pricing.
On our blog – the Consumer Corner – staff from the BEUC Secretariat in Brussels or national consumer organisations gave their views in 21 posts. These included topics such as consumer protection, the EU Ecolabel, sustainability reporting, the Nutri-Score and greedflation.
It is our policy to seek funding only in priority areas identified by our members as important for consumers. This funding can be either unrestricted (to support our core work) or tied to a specific project or programme. All potential funders are carefully vetted through our due diligence process to ensure that they align with our goals and do not threaten our integrity or independence.
Our work in 2023 was supported by the following grants and contracts:
EU operating grant
This grant is received from the consumer strand of the Single Market Programme 2021-27.
EU funded projects
Foundations that support our work (A-Z)
Resources 2023 | (in euros) | Expenditure 2023 | (in euros) |
Membership fees | 1,954,903 | Staff costs | 5,425,881 |
EU operating grant | 2,400,000 | Administrative costs | 777,325 |
EU-funded projects | 1,252,586 | Activities | 948,886 |
Private resources | 2,414,963 | Support to members | 318,211 |
Other resources | 275,869 | EU-funded projects activities | 548,486 |
Total resources | 8,298,320 | Total expenditure | 8,018,699 |