European Consumer Centres

The European Consumer Centre of Malta (ECC Malta)

ECC

The European Consumer Centre of Malta (ECC Malta) forms part of the European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net) with offices throughout the European Union (EU) member states, as well as in Norway and Iceland. This network is there to help with any questions consumers may have concerning their activities as consumers in the EU. The objective is to make consumers feel as confident shopping throughout the EU as they do in their country of residence.

The European Union’s ultimate objective is to have a network including at least one European Consumer Centre (ECC) in every EU Member State. ECC’s are there to help with such questions and any other problems consumers may have regarding consumer activities in all European countries. The objective is to achieve a situation wherein consumers feel as confident when shopping in another EU Member State as they do when shopping in their home country.

Consumers who live in European Union Member States enjoy excellent consumer protection when they encounter cross-border problems. That is when a consumer has a problem with a product bought in another Member State rather than from his or her resident state. To this effect, the ECC Network constitutes a very important link between the Directorate responsible for Consumers and Health Protection within the EU Commission and European Consumers.

Initially, the ECC’s main objectives were concentrated on a “prevention is better than cure” basis, by obtaining and circulating useful information, thus educating and helping consumers to make the right choices. In cases dealing with complaints, ECC’s help consumers with a view to negotiating an out-of-court-settlement with the respective traders. In such cases national legislation is applied and mediation is carried out in an effort to reach an amicable settlement.

Eventually, the ECC’s priorities included the possibility of the resolution of disputes through ADR’s, which are represented in Malta by the Consumer Claims Tribunal. This encourages consumers to be more pro-active, since this will help them should their complaint fail to reach an amicable settlement.

Moreover ECC’s make it possible for consumers across borders to compare prices, legislation, and other issues of consumer concern. In a nutshell, ECC’s are there to help consumers from all over Europe, no matter what language they speak.

Fundamental objectives of ECC

According to the priorities as they are established in the policy of the consumer from the European Committee, the fundamental objective of the ECC is to educate and inform the European consumers, so they can completely exploit the possibilities offered by the Internal Market, without putting in danger their health, safety and financial interests.

More specifically, the objectives of the ECC are the following:

• It consults all consumers that face problems with their cross-border transactions and supports them in their claim of demands, proceeding in friendly settlements.

• It collaborates closely with other European Networks like the European Judicial Network (EEJ-Net), the European Judicial Network for Financier Services (Fin-Net) as well as with the General Management of Health and Protection of Consumer (DG SANCO).

• It provides information on the Community and national legislation and case law.

• It proceeds in cross-border comparisons in subjects that concern the consumers.

The European Internal Market can offer consumers an increased choice and better value for money. The aim of ECC-Net is to ensure a certain level of protection when purchasing in this market. The ECC seeks to achieve its objectives by providing information to consumers and offering assistance on cross-border complaints and disputes and encouraging the development of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Schemes.

In Malta the European Consumer Centre can be contacted at the following address: 47A, South Street Valletta VLT 1101 Malta

Tel: +356 21 221901 Fax: +356 21 221902 e-mail: ecc.malta@gov.mt