Samenvatting van hoorzitting met kandidaat-eurocommissaris Meglena Kuneva (en)

"Consumer protection is central to the interests of every European citizen", said Meglena Kuneva, the Bulgarian Commissioner-designate for Consumer Protection. She was speaking at her hearing on Monday with the European Parliament's Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee. "It covers the most important matters - man's evolution and the organisation of [his] interests." It was, she said, a policy to bring Europe closer to its citizens.

A policy that applies to the life, health and the economic interests of millions of citizens, she noted in her opening statement, "needs to be based on serious research" - and on better communication. "I will make decisions on the basis of an open dialogue with you [_] and with other interested parties", including consumer organisations, Mrs Kuneva told MEPs. In this field, "the dialogue is just as important as the objective itself."

The Bulgarian candidate Commissioner stressed the importance of the EU's "better regulation" campaign. The Lisbon jobs and growth strategy, she argued, "can be successful only if business has the trust of the consumers for active participation in the opportunities which the market provides.

"I should like to place consumer issues at the centre of the formulation of European Union policies and to demonstrate to the citizens of the EU that Europe can enhance the quality of their daily lives," she said.

According to Mrs Kuneva, her main tasks would include working to complete the review of the consumer protection legislative framework, to improve the enforcement of laws already in place,  to "consolidate and develop further the progress already made in the area of enforcing product safety rules" and to raise the capacity of consumer organisations.

A shortened mandate, a lower budget

MEPs asked the Commissioner-designate several questions about how she would fit into the team of Commissioners. Malcolm Harbour (EPP-ED, UK) asked how she would work on her policy goals within the Commission's collegiate system. She said "I hope to have contact with all my colleagues" in communicating each policy as consumer protection was "complementary to every single EU policy."

While acknowledging that this was the first time that consumer protection had been made a separate portfolio, she pointed out that this policy did have a separate legal basis of its own, which was why it was autonomous. "I will make use of this ", she promised. Others, including Heide Rühle (Greens/EFA, DE), noted that the new Commissioner would have to work within an already established, and very limited, financial framework. Mrs Kuneva, however, felt these financial constraints would have their good side as they "will force us to define our priorities clearly". These priorities would include good consumer education and training and more information and support for organisations that help inform consumers. Another obstacle facing the Commissioner, said Béatrice Patrie (PES, FR), was that she would be joining the Commission mid-way through its term of office. Mrs Kuneva said she was aware of the short time remaining and was therefore determined to use existing instruments, including the Green Paper, currently in its final stage of preparation, and the Directive on unfair commercial practices which will enter into force in December 2007.

It is "very important to have a strong Commissioner for consumer protection", said Evelyne Gebhardt (PES, DE), asking Mrs Kuneva to elaborate on how her policy aims could play out against the Commission's legislative programme for 2007. The Commissioner-designate responded by citing a number of areas on which she would focus. One was "the area linked to the digital environment and services provided by the internet"; another, she noted, was the legislative framework for contract law. "What I'm missing here is any element of personal initiative", said Mrs Gebhardt. The candidate Commissioner responded by saying she "would rather wait for the results of [...] the Green Paper" before producing a fuller reply.

Harmonisation, consumer credit and consumer protection in the new Member States

The most frequently asked question concerned the Commissioner-designate's views on the degree of harmonisation of national laws needed in the field of consumer protection. To a question by Toine Manders (ALDE, NL), she replied "where possible we should apply a philosophy of maximum harmonisation". Some Members thought this implied a threat of "levelling down" of consumer protection standards. "Have I understood correctly, are you completely in favour of total harmonisation?" asked Marianne Thyssen (EPP-ED, BE).  Dagmar Roth-Behrendt (PES, DE) pointed out that total harmonisation towards the "lowest common denominator" can mean lowering the level of consumer protection in countries where the standard is higher. Mrs Kuneva explained that "total harmonisation is desirable where it is possible" - in other words, rarely.   

Asked by Manuel Medina Ortega (PES, ES) to comment on development of the proposed consumer credit directive, Mrs. Kuneva remarked that progress cannot be made "without a united vision". In this case "what is missing is that consensus". She added: "I will do whatever I can do create a good basis for our joint work". Othmar Karas (EPP-ED, AT), pointed out that this legislative proposal had been strongly criticised and that Parliament's and the Council's positions were now a long way from the initial draft. He criticised the fact that the impact assessment of this legislation had not been annexed to the draft, which was a text "of uncertain added value". "Would you be prepared to withdraw this text if the result of the impact assessment is negative?", he wanted to know. "Yes", answered the Commissioner-designate, while stressing that it was far too early for considerations of this kind and that it was best to await the forthcoming opinion of the presidency and the study commissioned by Parliament and expected in March 2007. 

According to Mrs Kuneva, it is "important to have a common legal base and common practices everywhere" in the European Union. "We need to have the same level of consumer protection throughout the EU", she stressed, pointing to the disparities that can exist in protection standards and also between the "consumer protection cultures" of "the new and old Member States". Prompted by Christel Schaldemose (PES, DK), to expand on this topic, the Commissioner-designate mentioned that the main answer to overcoming the "gap" in consumer protection mechanisms between new and old Member States "isn't going to be access to information, however important that is"; rather it is going to be the challenge of building "consumer confidence".

27/11/2006

Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

Chair : Arlene McCarthy (PES, UK)

Hearing of Meglena Kuneva, Commissioner-designate