The European Commission yesterday unveiled a new consumer strategy for the seven-year period ending 2013, emphasising the need to boost confidence in the single market so that consumers can shop freely across borders - travelling or online - to get the best price, the best quality and the product best suited for their needs.

The policy includes over 20 legislative and non-legislative initiatives to boost the retail side of the single market by 2013.

In her first major address to the European Parliament, the new Commissioner for Consumer Policy, Meglena Kuneva declared that consumer rights are at the forefront of the Commission's priorities.

Her three main objectives for the EU's 2007-13 consumer policy will be to empower consumers, enhance their welfare and protect them against fraud and other abuses.

"Consumers should be able to shop everywhere, from corner store to website, and be confident that their rights are being respected," Ms Kuneva told MEPs.

She said the Commission must act to boost the enforcement of consumer rules, and to ensure that such rules are harmonised across the EU "in targeted areas".

The EU should fight for consumer rights in every policy area, and the commissioner said she would like to "offer the title of consumer champion" to all her fellow commissioners.

"To have a consumer champion in the other sectors of policy, that is exactly what I dream of," she told MEPs.

Consumer spending represents 58 per cent of the EU's GDP.

Statistics show that businesses and consumers are still not using the potential offered by the internal market, particularly the new possibilities in E-shopping.

The Commission said the EU's internal market could be the largest retail market in the world. "It remains fragmented to 27 national mini-markets, depriving consumers of lower prices, better choice, and the European economy from an additional source of growth," the Commission said.

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