Consumers[/B] should be placed at the centre of any reconstruction process as key factors for a sustainable recovery, thus strengthening the competitiveness of the EU economy and the single market, said the Director General of the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry, Marios Panagidis, speaking at the Informal Ministerial Meeting on Consumer Affairs held in Prague on 23 September 2022, in the framework of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU).
According to a statement by the Ministry of Energy, the Summit addressed the strengthening of the legislative framework for consumer protection at the cross-border level, the issue of emerging challenges for consumer protection as a consequence of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as well as the initiative to amend the legislation on package travel.
With regard to the areas of Consumer Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) laws, he raised the concern that although fast, cheap, impartial and flexible ADR mechanisms are very important in cross-border trade, nevertheless, over the years, the ADR system has "faced" the reluctance of traders to participate in the dispute resolution process, highlighting the need for a consultative process to review the way the institution operates in order to achieve efficiency in the way disputes are resolved.
Panagides then highlighted the problems that have arisen in the supply chain of raw materials and basic consumer goods as a result of the pandemic, coupled with the continuous increases in fuel and electricity prices due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which have led to extremely difficult economic conditions as the purchasing power of consumers, especially vulnerable groups, is in decline.
He then referred to the measures taken by the Cypriot Government to support consumers, especially vulnerable groups, with emphasis on those that mainly concerned support for the problems that have arisen from the price increases related to energy.
The third theme referred to the important initiative to amend the Package Travel Directive, as the unprecedented situation we faced during the Covid-19 pandemic raised issues which could not have been foreseen at the time of the drafting of the Directive.
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