Have you ever experienced unpleasant moments when purchasing a low-quality product from a foreign online store? Or was your luggage not delivered on time after a flight? Or was it damaged?

Did you know that these and many other problems can be resolved?

The European Commission has created the European Consumer Centres Network (ECC-Net), which consists of 29 European Consumer Centres (from EU member states, Norway, and Iceland) working together to provide consumers with information about cross-border purchases and help find solutions for consumers in cross-border disputes with traders. ECC-Net also collaborates with the International Consumer Centre in the United Kingdom.

ECC-Net also supports policy improvements by working with national and EU-level institutions to promote consumer protection and improve legal regulations in cross-border trade.

ECC-Net activities and services are as follows:

• Provides information on cross-border shopping and ensures that consumers are aware of their rights. ECC-Net also provides information on consumer rights within the EU as well as in their home country;
• Provides advice and support to any consumer who encounters problems when making a cross-border purchase;
• Helps consumers reach an agreement – a positive solution – with traders in problem situations or disputes;
• ECC-Net members collaborate by organizing joint projects, within which areas that cause or could cause difficulties for consumers are studied. For example, joint projects are organized in the fields of air passenger rights and e-commerce, identifying the main problems that exist in Europe;
• ECC-Net also cooperates with other EU-established networks, such as SOLVIT, which is an alternative mechanism for resolving issues within the European Economic Area’s internal market, with the most common issues being related to residence permits, border crossing, professional qualifications, recognition of education, mutual recognition of goods, freedom of business, unfair conditions in public procurement that discriminate against applicants from other EU member states or goods. ECC-Net also cooperates with FIN-Net, which is a network for resolving financial services issues.

For more information about ECC-Net, visit the website eccnet.eu.