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Reports and Memo's
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Brussels, october 1995
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Decisive years for european consumer protection
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A great deal still remain to be done!
The internal market will only have a positive outcome when it will have been accepted by the citizen/consumer also. This had been recognized by the previous DELORS Commission and is self-evident. However this is still a far-distant goal and the road to reach it will become rougher and steeper in view of industry's objections to environment problems and consumer interests as well as the results of the surveys conducted amongst the citizens. This is certainly not the place to give proof that the European economy can also survive and develop further if the environment and the consumers are not burdened even more. Let it suffice to say that lower costs and higher protectionism by themselves are not a recipe for success and that the future economic development of the Union will depend even more on its innovative capacities as well as the quality of its products and services.
In this respect, the environment and consumer organisations are making a positive contribution to economic growth and increased well-being of its citizens by putting pressure on the productive branches of the economy towards improving the quality, safety and wholesomeness of foodstuffs as well as that of environment protection.
The consumers are the first to be directly affected by the pollution of the environment and especially by residues of plant protection products and fertilisers staying in the environment, drinking water and the food we eat. Higher production at the expense of consumer health is totally unacceptable and entirely incompatible with the objectives of the Union.
Apart from intervening for better protection and safety, the consumers also pursue economic interests and give a critical assessment of the CAP in particular.
Another very important aspect of better consumer protection is the information the consumer can obtain on his new rights in the internal market. This applies in particular to consumer rights regarding foodstuffs, medicines, cosmetics, price indication in general, guarantees and after-sales services, etc. The European Commission has given top priority to strengthening consumer information on the Union.
Hereunder will be described more in detail important problems for the consumers. We shall start by reporting on current work in the foodstuffs and veterinary sectors and then give a critical contribution to the discussion on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) as well as the proposals for reform and questions related to the problems of the CAP.
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[ TABLE OF CONTENTS ]
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