15 years of help and advice for consumers in Europe

ECC-Net emerged in 2005, with the aim of supporting a well-functioning inner market by offering free legal assistance to consumers in the EU shopping or travelling across borders. Since its inception, European Consumer Centre has helped more than a million European consumers.

A lot has happened since then, and in 2020 we celebrated with a wealth of activities: a joint consumer rights campaign throughout the year focusing on the main areas of complaint, a new anniversary website for the network, a 15-year report with facts and stories from the network, and a triumph of an online event on 20 November, including participation form Didier Reynders, European Commissioner for Justice.

Watch or revisit the European Consumer Centre’s anniversary event

On 20 February, the European Commission and the European Consumer Centre Network organised an online event entitled “New Consumer Agenda: Making EU consumers make the most of their right”, to celebrate the network’s work for consumers, and discuss the future of European consumer policy.

“Over one million consumers relied on the network to seek solutions to their problems. I am convinced that the European Consumer Centre Network, with its practical support to consumers, will remain in the future an essential feature of the union’s consumer cooperation.”

This is what Didier Reynders, European Commissioner for Justice, said at the event, where he also answered questions from a number of European journalists. There was also a panel debate on sustainable consumption, as well as a presentation with Deputy Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers, Nils Behrndt, who said:

“(...) The ECCs do an incredibly important job to make sure that Europe is not just an area of rights on paper, but is really reassuring consumers that help is there. It’s a service that you ECCs are offering the citizens for free, so it’s an amazing service that you are doing.”

Watch or revisit the European Consumer Centre’s anniversary event:

New anniversary website

On the new website, you can read about what has happened over the last 15 years, and see how we have collaborated across the network over the years with authorities, organisations and companies. 

European Consumer Centre Network’s 15th Anniversary Report                    

In the European Consumer Centre 15th Anniversary Report you can get to know our 29 European sister offices, find out about developments in our biggest core areas, and much more.